The Big Four and the Fate of the Fractured Part 2
by Floranagirl
Summary: Jack Frost is dead and Rapunzel has lost her healing hair. The big four have had enough. It is time to stop Pitch Black's reign of terror once and for all.
1. Awakening

**A/N:** **While there will be two one shots after this (ROTG and Frozen), both will be epilogues, so this begins the official ending to my story.**

 **This first chapter takes place concurrently with the Tangled one shot.**

 **Tangled belongs to Disney, Brave belongs to Disney and Pixar, How to Train Your Dragon belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell, Rise of the Guardians belongs to Dreamworks and Guardians of Childhood belongs to William Joyce.**

* * *

Jack Frost was dead. It wasn't an idea that was easy for Merida to get used to. Mother Nature had warned her. So had Jack's family. They all said Jack was dead. Or at least partly dead. Only mostly dead. Something to do with the Guardians.

She'd denied it at first. She set out intending to find Jack alive. Well … she'd found Jack. When she'd first seen him, she assumed they were wrong. Jack _was_ alive. At least he moved and spoke. But once she and Hiccup had gotten him away from Pitch Black, he fell into a dead sleep.

The lords' sons had taken them to an island near Hogwarts. Hiccup had built a shelter on this island a year ago. The teenagers covered it with dreamsand. The lords' sons kept watch for enemies approaching, while Merida and Hiccup took turns waiting for Jack to wake up.

Waiting. And waiting. Merida had had enough of waiting. First she was waiting for Harris to wake up, now Jack. And Jack's unconscious form worried her more.

Harris, though unable to move, has showed physical signs of illness. His face grew gaunt, until the nurse used a spell to help him eat. His hair would often be plastered with sweat. Jack did not show any signs of life. He didn't sweat, or eat, or toss and turn. She wasn't even sure if he was breathing. And it had been weeks.

Merida sometimes worried that he was all the way dead, but she quickly dismissed those thoughts. For one, Hiccup had heard him speak and seen him move, too. And Mother Nature had said Jack was 'chosen' by the Guardians. Plus, Pitch Black would gain nothing by keeping Jack in his lair if Jack was sincerely dead. He could gain more by parading the body around.

One day, as she came to relieve Hiccup from his watch, Jack's eyes flashed open.

Relief flooded through her as she looked into his now blue eyes as he babbled about a girl named Rapunzel. She had no clue what he was talking about, but it was reassuring to hear his voice.

"Maybe you met her when you … you know?" Hiccup said softly, not willing to tell Jack he had died.

Jack's face turned blue, "No! Rapunzel was - is- our friend! She's important! We've all been in school together for ages! She's in trouble, we need to go after her!"

Jack tried to get up. Merida pushed him back down. Her hands stung where she touched him. He was often cold when upset, but this was more than his usual icy demeanor. This was the coldness of death. She retracted her hands.

"Jack, you should rest. You've been through a lot. You … you..." She couldn't find the words.

"I died, I know. Pitch has proved it time and again," Jack snapped. "But Rapunzel is alive and in trouble. We have to save her. You must remember!"

Merida looked at Hiccup. He clearly didn't know who Rapunzel was, either. But he smiled gently at Jack.

"Why don't you tell us about her," Hiccup said softly, "while you rest? Merida is right. You've been through a lot."

Jacks face twitched, but he agreed. He told them about Rapunzel. Her magic glowing hair. Her very long hair, very blonde hair. Jack told them all about adventures that the four of them had gone on. Something rang true as he said it.

She remembered finding Night Mares in the woods. She remembered finding Fearlings in the school. She remembered sailing on a boat pulled by a dragon, and almost marrying a monkey king ...but her memory often fizzled out at certain points. Certain points that a girl with exceptionally long magic hair would fit. She still couldn't remember Rapunzel specifically. Aside from the hair, she wouldn't have known what the other girl looked like. But Jack convinced her.

"And while Pitch was holding me prisoner, he taunted me," Jack said as he finished. "He said Rapunzel would never be able to bother him again. She's in trouble. And the fact that you guys don't remember makes me think it's deep trouble."

"Jack, I get what you're saying," Hiccup conceded, "but what can we do?"

"We can go to her! I know where her tower is. It's protected with the Fidelius charm, but as the secret keeper I can-"

"Jack, I can't," Merida said firmly. "My brother Harris is still hurt."

She refrained from saying _because of you_. That kind of blame was what killed Jack in the first place. Besides, when she left the school earlier that morning, Harris was on the mend. The nurse thought he'd wake up soon. She didn't want to leave him for more than a few hours until he did.

"He's still alive?" Jack said, his eyes widening. "Pitch told me he was dead. He said … does this mean that Scotland hasn't razed the Archipelago?"

"No, Jack," Hiccup said. "We're all fine. Nothing's happened. And nothing ever will. We're going into hiding. All Vikings."

"So … Pitch lied to me," Jack said, rubbing his head. "I wonder if he lied about Rapunzel, too?"

"He might have," Hiccup agreed, "but it's still weird that we don't remember her, isn't it? Unless … "

Hiccup's eyes went wide and he gasped, "… I have to go check something."

Hiccup raced out. Merida had no clue where he was going, no ideas had clicked in her head. But that was Hiccup for you. Merida turned her attention back to Jack. As she looked at him, his face contorted. He grimaced.

"JACK! JACK!" Merida yelled, hoping Hiccup would come back. Jack's face became cold and distant.

"Jack is not here," Jack said. The voice. It was Jack's, but not. More melodic, and not as fun.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Merida asked again, not sure what to make of his statement.

Jack's blue eyes blinked several times. He looked around his surroundings as though seeing them for the first time. Then he looked up at her.

"You aren't Pitch?" he questioned. Merida was taken aback.

"Uh …"

"I suppose Jack forgot to introduce me," he said. "I am Nightlight."

* * *

Hiccup went over what Jack had told him. He couldn't remember Rapunzel. Something had affected his memory of her. He needed to get to the Hogwarts Library and do some research, but a plan was starting to take form.

The Archipelago was hidden. He didn't need to do anything else to protect his people. But this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"HICCUP! COME BACK!" Merida's screamed. Hiccup sighed and turned back. He needed to get to the school before he forgot, but Merida apparently couldn't handle Jack alone.

When he entered the warm shack, he saw Jack ... glowing? And standing different. Somewhat. Jack smiled when he came in ... but it wasn't his usual crooked grin. This was much more formal. And then Jack bowed.

"Ah, allow my to introduce myself," Jack said. "I am Nightlight."

"Nightlight?" Hiccup said. "Jack mentioned you."

Nightlight nodded and explained, "We share a body. It is my fault Kozmotis hates Jack."

"Then ... do you know what's going on with Rapunzel?" Hiccup asked. "'Cause I've been thinking ... Jack said she was constantly attacked."

Nightlight nodded with a gentle smile.

"But now, she's disappeared. And we don't even know who she is," Hiccup said.

Once more, Nightlight nodded.

"How is that possible? I mean, I know memory charms exist ... but to forget someone who's supposedly your best friend ... that's not easy is it?"

Nightlight shook his head.

"Don't talk much, do he?" Merida said, her mouth still gaping open.

"Talking is not necessary, most of the time," Nightlight said. "I prefer to speak only when I must. I do not know more than Jack on the subject of Rapunzel. But I know who to ask."

Nightlight strode out of the hut. Hiccup and Merida followed.

It's funny. You never think of people having different gaits until you see someone walking in someone else's body. Where Jack often ran, jumped and skipped, Nightlight's steps were smooth and deliberate. It was a very un-Jack-like behavior.

Once outside, Nightlight looked up into the moon. Was it Hiccup's imagination? Or did the moon glow brighter, and the moonbeams seemed to dance around Nightlight. Nightlight blinked several times, then smiled, and then frowned.

"What's going on?" Merida demanded. "What did the moon say?"

"Good and bad," Nightlight said. "Manny witnessed everything. Rapunzel asked Queen Toothiana to erase everyone's memory of her. But something's gone wrong. I-"

Nightlight's face twitched and a more passionate one appeared.

"See, I knew she was-," Jack's voice cried. His face twitched several times, going between a panicked look in Jack, to the calm steady one of Nightlight. It finally settled on Jack. He collapsed on the ground, clutching his head, "We have to help her."

"Jack, I can't leave my brothers for a girl I don't even know!" Merida said, crossing her arms.

"But you do know her!" Jack pleaded. "If you could remember ... you wouldn't hesitate."

"That might be. But I don't remember her."

"I wanna help. But Merida's sort of right," Hiccup said. "How could we help find her when we don't even remember what she looks like?"

"Her hair is impossible to miss!" Jack said. "And I know where she is."

"And what if she isn't there?" Merida said. "What if she's left?"

"We'll find her, the way you found me!" Jack proclaimed.

"Jack, I can't," Merida protested. "I can't go on a wild goose chase for a girl I don't even know. I have responsibilities here."

Jack's face turned blue, and the air turned cold. A storm was starting to form around Jack. Hiccup gently got between Jack and Merida.

"Why don't we compromise," Hiccup said. "Jack, you are faster than me and Toothless. Why don't you fly out now and check on Rapunzel. Merida can stay here with her brothers."

"What about you?" Jack asked.

"I need to check on something, but I'll follow you as fast as I can. I'll meet you at Burgess. You can tell me what's going on, and if we need Merida, one of us will come back for her."

Jack didn't look happy with the arrangement, but he didn't have much of a choice. Since time was of the essence, he twirled his staff and flew off. Hiccup and Merida both headed back to Hogwarts.

"I feel bad, not going with him," Merida admitted, "but I can't justify leavin' me brothers. I want to be there when Harris wakes."

"I don't know what to do about your brother," Hiccup admitted, "but I think I found a way to save your kingdom."

* * *

Jack Frost flew as fast as he could. He soared above the clouds as he rushed out of Scotland, out of England, and over the ocean on his way to Corona.

As he flew, he couldn't help but feel his timing was perfect. He didn't know what, if any, kind of trouble Rapunzel was in, but by his calculations, he would get there on her 18th birthday. What better excuse to check up on her? If she was fine, he could wish her a happy birthday and go back to Hiccup and Merida. If not, he would rescue her.

That was all that was on his mind, until he reached the forest where the glen should be. No matter where he flew or how he looked, he couldn't find the tower. It didn't make sense. He'd flown here lots of times. He'd even stayed here last summer.

"I'm sorry," the voice came out of Jack's mouth, but it wasn't his thought. "It's my fault."

"What?" Jack asked, perching on the top branch of a tree. "Nightlight? What's going on? Why can't I find Rapunzel's tower?"

"The fidelius charm," Nightlight responded using Jack's mouth. "The fidelius charm is when a secret is contained within a person. When you died the bond was severed. Even though you came back, the charm no longer recognizes you as the secret keeper."

Jack knelt down on the branch, his hands clasped around his head. What could he do now? What should he do? He didn't know if Rapunzel was in trouble or not. How much of what Pitch told him was a lie? Going into hiding was her idea. Sort of. Maybe she liked that no one remembered her. Assuming she knew about it. He wasn't certain. Or maybe Gothel was mistreating her. But what could he do?

Jack sat in the tree, pondering this. He could make a snowstorm. Rapunzel might come out to investigate a freak snowstorm in the middle of summer. But without being able to find the exact location of the tower, he couldn't ensure it would be contained. Other people might see it. And they might get scared and that could be bad for Rapunzel if she ever did get free.

He thought about going for help. Telling Hiccup and Merida where the tower was. But if the charm no longer recognized him as secret keeper, what good would that do? They would be just as stuck as him. Maybe worse, since they couldn't remember Rapunzel in the first place.

It took Jack nearly all day, but finally he remembered Coronian tradition. On Rapunzel's birthday, the king and queen always lit floating lanterns. He hoped that even with modified memories they would still do that. Unless they couldn't even remember they had a daughter? He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

Jack flew over the woods, but landed just inside them. He knew the king and queen were purebloods, but that didn't mean it was safe for wizardkind in Corona. While Pitch probably would have taunted him about it if the kingdom had developed a civil war, there could still be unrest. Jack would keep his magical powers to himself, if he could help it.

He crossed the bridge on foot as the sun was sinking and was relieved to see a giant mural of the king and queen holding a baby girl with long blond hair. Even if they'd forgotten Rapunzel, no memory charm could undo their art. And from the shrine of candles in front of it, there was little doubt that the town still remembered it had a princess.

He was so busy looking at the mural, he didn't watch where he was going, until he ran into someone.

Jack scrambled to his feet and reached over to help the other man.

"I am so sorry," Jack said, pulling the red-haired man to his feet.

"Don't mention it," the man said with a lisp. It took all of Jack's willpower not to laugh at it. As he got up, he looked down at Jack's feet and gave an exasperated sigh, "Not another one."

"Another what?" Jack asked, not sure what the man was getting at. Had Jack accidentally made ice and outed himself as an ice elf?

"Another teenager who won't wear shoes!" the man said. "This isn't a fad, is it? I'll be ruined in weeks!"

"You've seen someone else who doesn't wear shoes?" Jack asked, his hope rising.

"Of course. She's all anyone can talk about. I didn't catch her name, but all that hair? Get her to a barber, says I. And then I've got some shoes for her."

"Really, really, really long blond hair, right?" Jack asked.

"Yes," the man confirmed. "At first it was getting tangled up in everything. But then her boyfriend got some Scottish girls to braid it. Much better. Say, can I interest you in some shoes? I've got loafers, saddle shoes, slippers-"

"I don't have any money," Jack said quickly. "When did you see this girl?"

"No money? What is this world coming to? I saw her this morning."

"Thank you, sir," Jack said respectfully, ignoring the lisp. The man walked off. Jack turned his attention back to the town.

Rapunzel was here. And from the sound of it, she was free.

* * *

Merida lightly dozed in the Gryffindor dorm room. As a dream started, she heard shouting. She slowly opened her eyes and rubbed the sand out of them.

"Merida!" Hamish called. "I lost a tooth!"

"That's nice," Merida yawned. "Put it under your pillow."

"I want to put it under Harris's pillow," Hamish said. "Maybe the Tooth Fairy will make him wake up."

She hadn't told her brothers that Professor Toothiana was the Tooth Fairy. The Guardians had only revealed their secret identities to a select few people. She wasn't going to break their trust and start blabbing.

Taking Hamish's hand, she went with him down to the Infirmary. As they walked to Harris's bed, her eyes went wide. A pair of bright blue eyes looked back at her.

"Harris?" Merida said.

"Sledding is not fun," the boy said. His voice was weak and gravely, but she didn't care. He was awake! Harris would live. And that meant it was time to take her brothers home.

After a quick reunion, Merida ran to the library, hoping to catch Hiccup as he conducted his research, but she couldn't find him.

"The boy was here," Mr. Qwerty, the librarian said, "but he found what he was looking for and went south."

"Thank you," Merida said, bobbing a curtsy. She raced down to Angus. No doubt Hiccup had left for Burgess already. Now that Harris was awake, she had no hesitations about joining him. She saddled her horse and rode out. She couldn't wait to tell everyone the good news.

* * *

The day after Rapunzel's birthday, when the Man in the Moon sent Jack to a hollow tree to activate Rapunzel's memories, he initially intended to wait around for her.

But the longer he waited, the more he started to wonder if he was making a mistake. What if Rapunzel didn't know about the tree? What if Mother Gothel had hidden them? Sure, Flynn's memories were there, too, but that didn't mean much.

And what if Rapunzel wanted to stay lost? From the descriptions of the villagers, the long haired girl who danced and painted their city had been having the time of her life. More fun than even Jack could give her on his snowiest snow day.

Jack ended up pocketing the memories and leaving a note. If whoever had hidden the memories wanted them back, they'd have to face Jack. And in the meantime, maybe he could use the memories to help Merida and Hiccup remember Rapunzel. Surely Rapunzel hadn't wanted her best friends to forget.

As Jack flew back over the ocean, he pondered what his village would think of him, now that he was legally dead. Would coming back as a ghost scare the people? Yes, probably.

Did he care?

He wasn't sure. A part of him wanted to scare them. It wanted revenge for all the hatred, being forced to stay inside just because he was different. But a larger part of him did not want that. The larger part of him just wanted everyone to have fun. But they probably wouldn't have fun with a ghost.

If he was a ghost, that is. He seemed solid. His friends could pick him up, and he could touch things.

So was he a zombie? No. Zombies are mindless. That's why they seek brains. Maybe a ghoul? No. Ghouls were usually gloom and doom. While Jack wasn't exactly happy about being dead, he wasn't all mopey. As far as he could tell, he still had the full range of human emotions.

How about a Draugr? He supposed he could be. But weren't they supposed to be in a state of decay? He'd been dead for several months. He didn't think he was rotting. His teeth had never been so white.

Maybe a Wight? Or Reverent. The closest undead creature would probably be a Lich, though Jack didn't particularly feel like calling himself that.

He supposed it didn't matter. The people would accuse him of being whatever they feared the most, wouldn't they? There was no room for logic in a mind turned by fear.

Jack wasn't paying much attention as he crossed over into England. He flew low over ground, until something shot up straight in front of him. He dropped his staff and plummeted to the ground.

* * *

Pitch fumed. He hadn't meant to let Jack Frost go. He'd intended to keep the boy his prisoner for eternity. Jack was a good source of fear. His age made him ripe for the picking, and thanks to the Guardians, he could not die. A very low maintenance prisoner, requiring no food, water, light, or warmth.

And having Nightlight as well was the icing on the cake. For too long, Nightlight had held Pitch prisoner. It was time to return the favor.

But now they were both gone. Rescued by Jack's friends. The worst part was that it was his own foolishness that led to them escaping. He wanted the dragon rider and princess to be afraid. He only meant to let them find Jack. He thought he could trap the lot of them. If the princess and the dragon rider disappeared, it would almost certainly stop the talks of peace, ensuring that the dark ages lasted a lot longer. And Jack's fear for them would be so sweet. But the children were more powerful, and more clever, than he'd anticipated. Not only did they get Jack out of Pitch's lair, but they'd managed to hide him while the boy recovered. Pitch didn't know how they did it. The Man in the Moon, perhaps. Those Guardians were always interfering.

He closed his eyes and thought of the prophecy. _A darkness descends upon the land_. Obviously. He'd achieved that. _If it cannot be stopped, the world will be forever changed_. According to the prophecy, he might never be stopped. A good omen. _But there are four who have the power._ The Guardians or the four children. Could be either. Pitch had been attacking both fronts just in case. _Led by deathless light reborn._ His first though was for Nightlight. That's the obvious choice. But now Jack had been reborn as well. And that rotten Flynn boy. All his pawns were running amok. He had to put a stop to it.

 _They can heal the bond that has broken and restore the peace,_ not if Pitch had any say in it. He'd been mostly affecting the world by striking particularly powerful leaders with fear. They then did the rest. But now ... maybe it was time to unleash the monsters. And he knew the first town to target.

The Burgess nightmare was about to begin.

* * *

A cold wind blew across the sea onto the deck of the ship. Rapunzel shivered in the night. She felt so exposed. Every few minutes, she reached up, intending to pull her hair down, only for her fingers to be met with the frayed ends of the short brown hair.

With a sigh, she went back to leaning on the rail of the ship, watching the horizon.

"Hey," Eugene's gentle voice said as he appeared beside her. "Couldn't sleep?"

Rapunzel rubbed her arms, "Not since ... Not since I left."

Again, she reached up for her hair, but found nothing. Eugene reached out and took her hands, letting her fingers twist around his.

"It'll be alright," he promised. "We've made it through the worst."

Rapunzel bit her lip, "What if we haven't? I don't know what my friends have been up to. I had nightmares that they needed my healing powers. I don't think there's another tear in me. What if they hate me when I can't cure them, just like Mother said they would?"

"Look, Blondie ... Er, I guess that name doesn't quite work now," Eugene sighed. "Rapunzel. I'm not gonna lie, you having super powers was fantastic. But even without them, you are the smartest, strongest, bravest person I know. Your friends will love you no matter what. Just as I do."

Eugene leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. The real forehead. Not on her hair, like Mother always did. Rapunzel leaned into his shoulder and started to cry. Eugene hugged her close ... like Mother.

She pushed him away and started to pant, leaning over the side of the boat, suddenly feeling nauseous.

"Are you alright?" he asked, not backing away, but not coming too close either.

"No," Rapunzel admitted, as she brushed back imaginary hair, "but ... I can't stop thinking about Mother ... and what happened. And what I did. I let her fall."

"She wasn't your mother," Eugene reminded her. "She kidnapped you, kept you captive. And hurt you. And me."

Eugene reached down to his stomach, where he'd been stabbed. Rapunzel reached out and touched it. There was no scar, no sign that anything had ever pierced the skin, but in her mind, she could still see the pool of blood.

"I'm ... I'm sorry, Eugene," Rapunzel said, tears starting to come up. Eugene put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up.

"Don't worry about it. We're both okay now. What Gothel did, and what happened to her, was not your fault. Trust me. I grew up in an orphanage. Half the kids blamed themselves for their parents' deaths, even when there was nothing they could possibly have done."

Rapunzel's brow creased, "Did you?"

Eugene shrugged, "I don't know what to think. I was found on the orphanage doorstep when I was a baby. Maybe my parents died and someone brought me there. Or maybe they didn't want me. Or couldn't provide. Maybe I was a muggleborn and they were frightened by my powers. I'll never know."

"You ... you could've looked at your memories, couldn't you?" Rapunzel asked. "You had both of ours?"

"Yeah. I could've. I thought about it," Eugene said, "but I guess I was too cowardly to look. You were lucky. Your parents wanted you. I ... I'd like to think mine wanted me. But I don't know if I could handle knowing they didn't. I'd like to think they were adventurers. Like Flynnigan Rider, and that they left me there to protect me. If the truth is different, I don't want to know it."

Eugene went quiet. Rapunzel leaned on his shoulder and they watched the sunrise as the boat got closer to England. Soon she would find out what she really meant to her friends.


	2. Old Friends, New Faces

After a quick trip to the library, and another one to the Archipelago, Hiccup soared over England, looking for Burgess. Though Jack had left a few days ago, Hiccup figured he could catch up with him in a snap. At least, until he was flying over unfamiliar farms and forests and he realized that he didn't know _where_ Burgess was.

The year Jack invited them to visit his home, Hiccup had been holed up, mourning the loss of his leg and teaching other Hooligans how to ride dragons. He did visit Jack's cottage once, but it was after they got lost and washed up on a random shore. Jack recognized the scenery then. But intelligent as Hiccup was, he didn't have an eidetic memory. Even if he could remember some features, like Jack's house being in the woods, he wouldn't know which patch of woods.

"Do you think you can track him?" Hiccup asked, scratching Toothless behind the ear, though avoiding the special spot that would make him fall over. He didn't need to crash.

Toothless gave a slight whine. Toothless was a Strike Class dragon. He had powerful shots. Though his speed and black scales made him decent at stealth, he didn't have the strong nose and instinct that a true Tracker Class dragon would have.

Hiccup looked down over the landscape. He was probably far enough south. He directed Toothless to land and climbed off.

"Wait here," Hiccup instructed. He remembered the tales of horrible Muggles. He didn't need Toothless shot down again.

Hiccup walked down a hill to the dale below. From above, he thought he'd seen a sheep pasture in this area. It took a bit of walking, but Hiccup eventually found a farmhouse.

He knocked on the door. A woman wearing a cap and apron opened the door. Hiccup shuffled his feet as he addressed her.

"Excuse me, ma'am. I'm looking for ... um ... "

"Quick, get in," she said, roughly grabbing his shoulder and pulling him across the threshold. "Do you want to be skinned?"

Hiccup cleared his throat.

"Um ... I'm not sure what's going on. I'm a traveler ... If you could just point me in the direction of Burgess..."

"You shouldn't leave until morning," she said, glancing out the window at the setting sun. "There could be Vikings about."

"What?" Hiccup asked, choking as her words sank in. She obviously didn't suspect him of being a Viking or she wouldn't have let him in. But why would she think Vikings were down here? At the Thing, they'd all agreed to stay in the Barbaric Archipelago. Had one of the tribes violated that accord already?

"My husband saw strange ships down by the harbor," she said. "Horrid long ships, with carved dragons on the front and round shields pinned along the side."

That sounded like Viking ships alright.

"Have they attacked anyone?" Hiccup questioned.

"No. Not yet," the woman said, "but give it time. Vikings are horrid savages. They'd kill you without question. Or worse, enslave you."

Hiccup winced. _His_ tribe didn't kill without thought or enslave people, but he knew other Barbarians did. After the Archipelago was completely hidden, maybe he'd make that a new priority. The people of England shouldn't live in fear of Vikings. Maybe he could even help the tribes shed their bad reputation.

"Where's the harbor?" Hiccup asked. She pointed. He moved towards the door and paused, remembering why he'd stopped in the first place, "And what about Burgess?"

She tilted her hand a bit to the left from where the harbor was. He reached for the door, but her hand shot out.

"Oh no. I'm going to do my civic duty. I can't let a child wander the streets with Vikings roaming about."

"First off, I'm over 18. I know I look small and scrawny, but I'm not that young. Second, my Drag-horse. My horse. My horse named Drag. I left my horse out there. I have to get him, or they might ... Um ... I have some weapons on him. I'd rather have them then let the others get them. I'd hate if they used my own sword to cut down your house."

Reluctantly the woman raised her arm and let him out. He ran back to Toothless. Mounting the dragon, he turned him towards the harbor. Jack and the girl, Rapunzel, could wait. He had to resolve this Viking issue.

* * *

Merida rode Angus down to southern England. The euphoria of Harris's awakening was starting to wear off. All of her brothers had encouraged her to go. They would be fine, they assured her. Hubert and Hamish would catch Harris up on what had happened while he was hurt, and they'd watch over him. And they all promised not to make any more mischief. While she was gone, at least.

Merida looked to the skies, wondering if she would see Toothless and Hiccup flying overhead. No luck. They were faster than Angus anyway. They'd probably reach Burgess a day before she did. Of course she could have apparated, but if Jack did need her help in Corona, then she wanted Angus with her. Since she didn't know how to apparate a horse, riding him was her only option.

She was wondering where exactly to meet everyone when Angus started to get antsy. He pawed at the ground, taking several steps back. Merida gripped him with her legs and stroked his mane.

"Whoa, boy, whoa," she said softly. He calmed down a bit and continued forward, but it was clear he was still on edge. As she looked around, she realized why. This was where she was ambushed last year. Flaming arrows came out of the trees. Angus panicked and threw her, running off to ... well, she still didn't really know where he'd gone. All she knew was that the lords' sons had found him and brought him back to her.

Now she urged him faster, even though it was unnecessary. There was no ambush waiting today. No one knew she was here, except Jack, Hiccup, and her brothers. And none of them would betray her, she was sure.

As Merida rode on, she started to hear the clip clop of another horse. Her heart started to pound. She pulled the hood of her cloak down lower, hoping that the other rider wouldn't recognize her as Merida the Outlaw, Merida the Mudblood, or Merida the Princess.

To her horror, though, the other rider slowed down. Merida glanced from the corner of her eye. It was a girl. About her own age, with short brown hair and large green eyes. The girl tilted her head, as if trying to see under the cloak.

Merida, trying to avoid eye contact, looked down at the other horse and recoiled. She knew that horse. The white horse whinnied.

He ... he'd been patrolling Hogwarts years ago. Why? Why had this horse been patrolling Hogwarts? Why were any horses patrolling? As Merida tried to remember, a headache started. She couldn't remember. Her mind went blank.

The white horse jumped in front, blocking Angus. Merida pulled his reins to stop him before they had a collision.

"Merida?" the brown-haired girl asked.

Merida bit her lip and pulled her hood lower.

"No. I don't know who that is," came Merida's reply, trying to make her voice deep and gravelly.

"Merida, it's me. Rapunzel," the girl said. Now Merida's head really did snap up. The one thing Jack told her about Rapunzel was that Rapunzel had impossibly long, _blonde_ hair. Not cropped brown hair. This had to be a trap. But how to proceed?

When in doubt, flee.

Merida kicked Angus, and the horse raced away from the impostor.

* * *

Rapunzel watched as Merida rode away. She wanted to chase after her but Eugene wouldn't be able to catch up on foot so, reluctantly, she and Maximus turned back.

As they neared the place they'd been waiting, Eugene walked down the path with sausages for lunch.

"Hey, why'd you leave the grove?" he said, handing her one of the brats and giving an apple to Maximus.

"I think I just saw Merida, but ... she didn't recognize me," Rapunzel said quietly. Her fingers once again reached for hair that wasn't there.

Eugene swallowed a big bite of his sausage and reached over, taking her hand.

"Rapunzel, I know it's tough having everyone forget who you are. I went through something similar when I took up the persona of Flynn Rider. But having her not remember you is actually a good thing."

"It is?" Rapunzel asked, pushing one of the short locks behind her ear. The strand refused to stay.

"Yeah, sure it is. Look. You were worried that she wouldn't like you without your magic hair, right?"

"Right."

"Well, now's your chance to challenge that. Meet her again. She doesn't remember you. She doesn't remember you used to have hair that glows when you sing and gives people superpowers."

"It didn't give people super powers."

"Eternal youth and impervious to disease or injury. That's a superpower in my mind. But anyway, if you meet Merida again, without your powers, you'll get to see whether she likes you for you or not. And maybe, once you see that she does, we can get the memory charm undone on her?"

Rapunzel gave a weak smile and Eugene jumped on Maximus. Eugene threw out his arm, pointing down the road. "On, beast! After that girl."

Maximus stood stubbornly still. Rapunzel patted his neck.

"Please go after Merida."

At this command, Maximus raced after the redhead. Rapunzel hoped that Eugene was right.

* * *

Merida, in her race to get away from the strange girl, wasn't watching where she was going.

As a result, she took a wrong turn. And then another wrong turn. And another. Finally, she pulled the reins. She was lost.

Merida did not panic. She pulled out her wand and muttered the spell to make it point north. She probably could have guessed north from the moss on the trees, the shadows, or which way the trees were leaning, but using her wand was more precise. Of course, it still didn't tell her, _where_ she was, but so long as she continued in a straight line, she should come to something she recognized, or someone she could ask.

Now sure of her direction, she gave Angus a light kick and he set the pace at a slow trot.

After a while, she started to hear other hoof beats. Her brow creased. She was certain the fake Rapunzel hadn't followed her. She would have heard the girl when she stopped to reevaluate her location. Unless the girl was exceptional at tracking. And if that were the case ... running away wouldn't do any good.

Merida glanced behind. Sure enough, it was the fake Rapunzel, now with a man on the horse. She wouldn't run again.

A pull on the reins stopped Angus. Merida reached for her quiver and nocked an arrow. She turned to face the strangers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" the man on the horse said. "Don't shoot! I've already died once. I'm not looking to repeat the experience."

"Why are you following me?" Merida demanded.

"We're just headed in the same direction," the not-Rapunzel said, "to Burgess, this is the correct road, right?"

Merida held still but didn't lower her bow.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said. Merida blinked several times. Like the horse, he looked familiar, though she couldn't place it. "I am Eugene Fitzherbert."

That name didn't ring any bells. Merida was certain she'd never heard it before.

"Why … why are you going to Burgess?" Merida asked.

"My friend asked me to go," not-Rapunzel said. "Sorry if I spooked you before. You just look so much like a girl I knew at school."

"You knew my name," Merida said.

"I'm from Hogwarts," not-Rapunzel replied. Merida finally lowered her bow. That explained how the girl recognized her. But what she couldn't figure out was why this brown-haired girl was pretending to be blonde Rapunzel. Well, they didn't seem threatening. And she did remember the horse.

"You said your name was Rapunzel," Merida said. Not-Rapunzel nodded. Merida pressed on, "Rapunzel's not a common name, is it?"

"No, though I'm not sure why," Rapunzel said. "There are plenty of girls named Rose and Violet. Why more aren't named after rampion, I don't know."

"Have you ever heard of a princess named Rapunzel?" Merida questioned. The not-Rapunzel blushed.

"Um. Guilty," the girl admitted.

Rather than clearing things up, this confused Merida even more. Jack had said that Rapunzel was a princess. But Merida was certain that she would remember if she knew another princess.

Then, the memories stirred. Going home to her mother at Castle DunBroch. Bringing someone, a girl, a friend, with her. Why had she done that? What girl would be so important that she would let her meet Mother … and so unimportant that she could forget the friend's name.

The more she thought about it, the more she realized that Jack was correct. She must have forgotten her friend Princess Rapunzel. How, she didn't know, but there was no doubt that she could not recall her friend's face. So … how could this not-Rapunzel prove she was the real deal when Merida couldn't remember anything about the real Rapunzel, aside from her having freakishly long hair.

"You say we knew each other at school," Merida said. "Which house were you in?"

"Ravenclaw," not-Rapunzel said.

"Slytherin," Eugene answered.

"Slytherin? Then … I suppose you know Jack?" Merida said.

"Yep. Though he, and you, once upon a time, knew me as Flynn Rider," Eugene said. That name sounded familiar. Jack often yapped on about Flynn leaving school early. Strange. She couldn't remember a thing about her supposed best friend, but she remembered Jack complaining that Flynn had left school.

"What do you mean, 'knew you as,'" Merida said, her hand fingering her bow in case more trouble started.

"Well, when I died, I took up my real name, Eugene Fitzherbert."

"When you died? Oh, no. You aren't a ... whatever Jack is ..."

"No no no," Eugene said. "I'm guessing you don't remember, but Rapunzel has, er, _had_ , magic hair. She saved me and I cut her hair off."

Merida hesitated. Who else would know that Rapunzel had magic healing hair aside from Jack ... and Rapunzel. Maybe the girl wasn't lying.

"If ... if you're Rapunzel," Merida asked, "how long _was_ your hair?"

Jack hadn't given her an exact number, but he said it was unusually long. The number should sound unreasonable.

"Oh ... well, I hadn't measured recently ... It's hard to tell because it grows, er, grew, so fast."

"It was a few feet longer than the bottom of your tower," Eugene said helpfully.

"Oh. Then I would guess it was up to ... about 70 feet," Rapunzel said.

Merida's eyes widened, "And you just ... cut it off?"

"Um ... technically I did that," Eugene said. Merida stared at him. Rapunzel didn't seem angry to lose all that hair, but if a man had cut off her curls, Merida would have let him have it. Merida slung her bow over her back.

"Okay. Tell me that story, as we go to Burgess."

The three friends rode as Rapunzel told the story. It all sounded very tangled.

* * *

Jack woke up with a headache. Not surprising. He'd fallen 50 feet and probably landed on some rock. What was surprising, was the little child looking into his face. The boy couldn't be more than three.

Jack slowly sat up rubbing his head. He dropped his staff. It had to be here somewhere. But Jack didn't see it.

"Have you seen my staff?" Jack asked the child, who was giggling near him.

"Funny stick?" the child giggled.

"Yeah. Where is it?"

"Momma took it," the child said, pointing to a cottage. Jack propped himself up, took the child's hand, and walked towards the cottage. A knock at the door drew the mother out. She was a sharp-featured woman, with a scowl.

"Get away from me," she snapped. "I don't need more like you."

"Um, yes. I'd love to go. But I need my staff," Jack said. "And it's getting dark. This kid shouldn't be out alone."

The little one kept on giggling, making the woman frown more.

"Jerry has to stay out. That's what the village elders decided," she said. "I can't be harboring no witches."

"Momma!" the child cried, running to hug her. She winced and brushed him off, "It's better for him. He'd just get kicked out if he stayed here anyway."

"What's going on here?" Jack asked, taking a step inside the woman's home, pulling the child with him. The woman took a step back.

"He's a witch," she said, "like his dad. But I can't do nothin' about it. He shot you outta the sky, then tried to play with your stick. I didn't know what it could do, so I took it."

"He's too young to control his powers," Jack guessed.

"Yes," she said. "It was fine a year ago when I just had to clean up his messes whenever he did something magical. But now that magic is against the law, what am I supposed to do?"

"Where is his dad?" Jack asked.

"Dead. He refused to bow down when magic was outlawed. Got himself killed, leaving me with this one."

The child giggled again and disappeared, reappearing a few feet away.

The mother sighed and yelled, "Out. Go out until you stop doing things like that!"

"You know, sending him out won't help him control his magic," Jack said. "It might make it worse. Most accidental magic is caused by extreme emotions. And being kicked out by your mother is a quick way to trigger extreme emotions."

"What am I supposed to do? If I don't kick him out for using magic, the sheriff will take both of us. Him for doing magic, and me for failing to stop him. I got two other kids. I can't be leavin' them."

Jack looked at the child. The boy had no idea he wasn't wanted. No idea he'd done anything wrong. But Jack understood her struggle.

"Take him in," Jack advised, "at least for now. I'm friends with Princess Merida. She's been putting magic kids in hiding. I'm on my way to meet her. We'll see what we can do for him. She's got shelters set up all over England and Scotland for people like him. Someone will be along soon."

Relief filled her face. Jack took his staff and waved it, summoning the wind.

He wasn't exactly sure what he could do for the family besides simply helping them hide, but Hiccup might come up with something. Despite all the time he spent with children, it hadn't occurred to him before to think about the poor Muggleborns and half bloods who couldn't yet control their magic. How many of them had been killed out of fear?

Jack was so preoccupied with his thoughts, he didn't notice the air getting colder until he reached his lake. The lake he fell through earlier that year ... still frozen in the middle of summer. Jack landed on the lake. He hadn't frozen it. Who had?


	3. The Return of Jokul

**A/N: I've had a couple of reviews asking about Jack being invisible. I didn't forget, there will be an explanation but it will come a few chapters down the road.**

* * *

Hiccup landed on the Viking ship in the English harbor. Even as he descended, he knew something was off. The sail was rolled up to the wrong height for mooring. The shields that decorated the side were facing the wrong way. And the oars were sticking out at odd angles. This ship had not been brought here by Vikings.

Staying on Toothless he looked around. Above the lapping of the waves, he heard … was that sobbing? Hiccup pulled out his wand and dismounted as the sobbing ceased.

"Hiccup?" a girl's voice asked. Hiccup looked around the boat, but he couldn't see the speaker.

"Look to your left," the voice said again. Hiccup looked left, but there was nothing there - just the wind blowing on the sail. "I'm tied to the mast."

He went to touch the mast, and sure enough, his hand was met with soft flesh.

"I can't see you," Hiccup said, finding the girl's shoulder and following it down to her wrist. A thin cloth was covering both her and the ropes. As Hiccup lifted it, he could see the ropes. He pulled the invisibility cloak off the girl, revealing Jack's sister.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked as he cut her free.

The girl's face was red and puffy. She'd been crying for a long time.

"Jack isn't dead," she said, falling into his arms as he freed her. Hiccup didn't have siblings, but he knew enough to comfort her, stroking her back.

"I know," Hiccup reassured her. "He's on his way home. We were all going to meet at your house."

"No!" she screamed. "Jack can't go home! They're ... they're waiting for him."

"What's going on? Who's waiting for him?"

"The ... the elves," Emma sobbed. "They took me. They wanted him."

"What?" Hiccup asked, putting the girl on the back of his dragon. "Look, Jack might be there now. We'll fly to your home. I'll protect you. We'll find Jack."

Hiccup secured her on Toothless and climbed on himself.

"Where are the Vikings?" Hiccup asked as they took off.

"There are none," Emma said. "The elves said this boat was theirs."

Hiccup put the Viking ship from his mind as they took off. He could clean it up later. Right now, Jack needed help. No time to waste.

* * *

Rapunzel let Eugene tell the story of Tangled as they rode through the forest, though she corrected him on a few details.

It was strange to hear the story from his perspective. She hadn't been aware of what was happening, or even her own past, during the events.

A few times, when Eugene mentioned Mother or his death, she couldn't stop herself from shivering. He always paused when she did.

"I'm okay," Rapunzel said. Eugene stroked her shoulder and continued until the story was over.

"So ..." Merida said finally. "You erased my memory."

"I guess I did," Rapunzel said softly. "Mother ... Mother said it was for the best. I'm sorry."

Merida gave her a weak smile, "I guess it didnae do me any permanent harm. But I do kind of wish I remembered you."

"Maybe Tooth can reverse the spell?" Rapunzel said thoughtfully. "Now that my hair's gone ... It's not like I have to worry about anyone cutting it."

"So, all your power is gone?" Merida said.

Rapunzel hesitated. She wasn't sure. She'd thought when her hair was cut, her power was severed with it. Mother's death seemed proof of that, as she turned to dust. But then she cried on Eugene, and he came back to life. Were her tears magic? Or was that the last drop of power? The surest way to know was to cry on someone else. But Rapunzel had learned her lesson. Mother was wrong to kidnap her. But she'd been right that people would want to use Rapunzel for her power.

"Yes. It's all gone," Rapunzel said finally. Eugene's grip tightened. At first, Rapunzel thought it was because she'd lied, or at least given a half truth. But when she looked into his face, he was focused straight ahead. Both girls and horses looked forward. There, where Jack's town should have been, was a huge wall of ice.

It would have been out of place even in winter, but in the middle of summer, just after her 18th birthday? This was wrong.

"Boy, Jack's gone cuckoo," Eugene said, whistling.

"Hey, it wasn't me!" a voice said from the trees. All eyes looked up. Jack was crouching on a narrow branch. He waved his staff and floated gently to the ground in front of them. He looked at Rapunzel and cocked his head.

"Your hair ..."

"I know, Eugene cut it," Rapunzel said, wishing she could duck behind something. Jack cracked a smile and turned to Eugene.

"Eugene?" Jack snickered. "So ... that story you told me ... a long time ago. It was about you."

"Yep," Eugene admitted. "I'm Eugene Fitzherbert, Mudblood orphan. At your service."

Eugene pantomimed tipping a hat, making Rapunzel chuckle.

"Jack, your eyes are blue!" Rapunzel gasped.

He smiled, "Happened when I died."

"Wait a minute, I saw you with blue eyes once," Eugene said.

"Yeah. Every once in a while it happened before. But since I died it's been permanent. I don't think they'll go back to brown."

"So ... you did die," Rapunzel said sadly. "Pitch said you had, but I didn't quite believe it ... and you're here ..."

"Trust me, it's only gonna get weirder. We can play catch up later," Merida said. "So Jack, what's going on? I take it you didn't know about this when you suggested meeting here."

Merida tapped the towering ice wall.

"I have no clue what's going on. But look at the ice. It's frosted, like I've touched it. And on the edges of the ice ... see here."

Jack pointed to a leaf-like indentation on the surface of the ice wall. On the edge, outlining the shape, Rapunzel could see black sand.

"Pitch Black," she said, tracing the pattern.

"And not just him," Jack said. "This is Ice Elf ice. It goes all the way around, and over, my town. Like a snow globe. It cuts off next to my house, so half the lake is on one side and the other half is on the other."

"A simple heat spell should melt it," Merida said. She pulled out her wand and cast the spell. It was much more controlled than the last time she did it. She carved a doorway.

Jack stepped through.

"Jack, this could be a trap," Merida warned.

Jack paused. "Then we shouldn't all walk into it. Wait here. This is my town, and if Ice Elves are attacking, it's my fault. I have to do this. Besides, I'm technically dead. They can't kill me. If I'm not back in twenty-four hours -"

Jack didn't finish the thought. He took a deep breath and stepped through the opening. All Rapunzel could do was watch.

* * *

Jack quietly crept into the snowy village. Jack was used to walking through snow in the middle of summer, but usually it was _his_ snow. This snow felt different. Colder. Dangerous. And the ice dome covering the town, cutting off escape by flight, reminded him too much of being trapped in the ice caves and Pitch's lair.

Several times he looked back to be sure the doorway Merida had carved was still open. He might need to make a quick escape. Reassured that it was, he continued on.

Once he reached the well, he looked over the town. Everything was still and silent. No curtains were open, but quick examination showed frost on all the windows. Frost on the inside.

Jack twisted his staff and jumped into the air, from above, he looked at the rooftops. Only one chimney had any smoke coming from it.

If this was a trap, that was where Jack was being led.

Jack deliberated for a moment, then took the bait. He landed and walked to the door. Of course it was the pastor's house. Jack opened the door. He jumped out of his skin.

The pastor was there, kneeling down. Above him, all the furniture had been broken up and frozen together in an ice throne. A tall, thin, white-haired Elf relaxed on it.

Jack knew him.

"Hello, Father," Jack said.

Jokul smiled wickedly.

* * *

Merida banged her fist against the ice.

"He's been in there too long. We should go in after him."

"Jack said to wait a day," Rapunzel reminded her. The humans had dismounted to let Maximus and Angus rest. They would need their energy for a quick getaway when Jack sounded the alarm.

"This isn't right," Merida exclaimed.

"Oh, but it is," the sultry voice of Pitch Black said. Merida, Rapunzel and Eugene all held up their wands.

" _LUMOS_!" Merida said. Her wand lit up and she saw Pitch Black looming over them. Was it her imagination, or was he taller than normal?

Merida jumped forward, jabbing him with her lit wand. Pitch stumbled back a step, but it didn't hurt him the way light hurt his shadows and Fearlings.

Pitch smirked, "I'm too powerful. Look around. You've lost."

"We haven't lost until we stop fighting," Merida whispered. " _Everte Statum_ "

Pitch was blasted back. Quickly, Merida cast a silencing charm over her and her friends. Pitch wouldn't hear them until he broke through the spell.

"Don't give him an inch," Merida commanded. "Try non-verbal spells all at once,"

"Uh, this might not be the best time," Eugene said, "but, uh, I never got past my fifth year. I can't do many non-verbal spells."

"Okay then, Eugene, run distraction. Rapunzel and I will take him out. Max, Angus, stay here and help Jack if he needs it."

The girls ran off in different directions, while Eugene faced Pitch Black.

As Merida hid behind a tree, she tried to think of something to help. What wouldn't Pitch foresee? Something completely off the wall. Something no one would expect.

She smiled as she cast the summoning spell. She knew just the thing. She hoped her brothers had taken care of it like she asked. This plan might just work.

* * *

"So it is true. You did die," Jokul said.

"Jack! Ghost!" the pastor said, scrambling to his feet. Jokul flicked his wrist and the pastor fell to his knees again.

"Why are you here? Where are the others? Where's my family?" Jack demanded, gripping his staff tightly.

Jokul lazily made a ball of ice.

"You know what happened when you left the Winter Woods two years ago?"

Jack shook his head. Jokul threw his ice ball at the pastor, then made another.

"We waited," Jokul went on. "The Elven council believed you would help. They sent you out into the world while we stayed in the forest. And then Pitch Black came to us. He told us you were dead. And that you'd failed to make so much as one nice comment on our behalf."

"I tried. But I had to make people like me first. I'm sorry I died before I could do it."

"Ha. You didn't fail. You quit. You quit because it was too hard. You're much like me," Jokul said, "but no matter. We are done waiting for you."

Jokul threw another snowball at the pastor. The poor man was turning blue.

"If you're here to make people like you, I think you're going about it the wrong way," Jack said, keeping an eye on the Muggle.

Jokul laughed loudly, "I can make anyone I want like me. No. The Elven council has never cared about being liked. What we want is respect. The Queen thought that letting you make people like us was a path to that respect. But you failed. Now, we get to do things my way."

"And what is your way?" Jack asked warily.

Jokul flashed an icy smile. The ice around the room crackled.

"Why wait for humans to kill or enslave us? I say we make the first move, and take _them_. Since you were dead, I figured I'd take your sister as my first. Maybe see if your mother was still a looker."

"Where are they?" Jack asked. The room grew even colder as he lost control.

"You'll have to ask this one," Jokul said, throwing another snowball at the pastor. The pastor kept his eyes downcast.

"Where is my sister?" Jack asked. "Where is my mother?"

The pastor shivered, "We lost Emma."

"Lost?"

The pastor wouldn't meet Jack's eyes, "She was mad. She kept insisting that you weren't dead."

The ice crackled around Jack, "What happened?"

"We ... we only wanted to cure her. But she disappeared when we came for her."

"Ask him about your mom," Jokul said, making small pieces of hail and tossing them up to eat them, like grapes.

Jack took the bait, "Where is my mother?"

"I ... I'm sorry Jack," the pastor said. "She and John fought us when we tried to take Emma. The crowd was out of control."

"TELL ME YOU DIDN'T!" Jack screamed as a storm started inside the hut. Jokul laughed.

"They're in a better place," the pastor mumbled. The storm raged on, swirling around Jack. The walls splintered and cracked. The glass windows shattered. Jokul held up his hand, keeping Jack's ice from striking him. The pastor had no such protection. He huddled in a ball, turning bluer by the second.

Jokul leaned forward, grinning, "Do it. Do it, my son. Kill the human filth. Prove you're one of us."

With great strength, Jack forced himself to reign in his anger. The storm stopped. Jack turned on Jokul.

"No. I will _never_ forgive the people of Burgess for killing my mother but I won't repay one wrong with another."

Jokul frowned, "Then you are no Ice Elf, and no son of mine."

The elf formed a sharp icicle. He pulled back his arm, aiming it at the pastor. Jack held up his staff. As Jokul came down on the pastor, an ice wall sprang up, protecting the Muggle.

"Get behind me," Jack ordered. The pastor did as he was told. Jack faced his father.

* * *

Eugene's heart pounded as he faced Pitch Black. His wand felt stiff in his hand. He wasn't like the others. It had been years since he was in school, and traveling with the Stabbington brothers had afforded him little time to practice curses or hexes. He didn't even know the more advanced spells.

"Why are you bothering with us?" Eugene demanded, choosing to fight Pitch mentally as long as he could. "Rapunzel's hair is gone."

"Is it?" Pitch asked. "If a drop of sun can become a flower, and a flower can turn into hair, who's to say that hair can't become something else?"

"The flower _is_ gone," Eugene insisted. He didn't know if it was true, but now was not the time to be honest with the bad guy. "You said you just wanted her out of the way. You promised I could rescue her."

"And you believed me," Pitch laughed. "That's on you."

Pitch drew back a scythe made of black sand. He thrust it at Eugene. The young wizard dove to the side, rolling away as the sharp blade came down, cutting into the ice dome behind him.

" _Expelliarmus_!" Eugene called, waving his wand. The sand scythe blew out of Pitch's hands, but it hardly slowed the evil wizard. He had more sand at his mercy. Dark tendrils crept forward.

From the corner of his eye, Eugene spotted the girls creeping in the woods. He couldn't let Pitch spot them. He had to keep Pitch's attention on him. The easiest way would be to give Pitch what he wanted.

"Aah!" Eugene screamed as one of the tendrils wrapped around his left ankle. He forced himself to fear it. To think of all the horrors the sand had caused to others, and what it could cause to him. As he stopped trying to be brave, Pitch doubled his attack, circling Eugene in sand.

"You've been a naughty boy," Pitch smirked while Eugene shivered. "I should have killed you when you failed to leave my medallion in Tooth Palace. Letting you get away is a loose end I shall now correct!"

Waves of fear washed over him.

"HEY!"

Eugene forgot his fear as he looked up at Rapunzel standing bravely on a high tree branch.

"No one ties him up but me!" she said. The girl jumped down, kicking Pitch in the head.

He recoiled, and as his concentration faltered, Eugene managed to break through the black sand. Rapunzel jumped up and grabbed Eugene's arm, pulling him away.

"Weren't you and the royal brat supposed to be taking him out with magic?"

"I was trying," Rapunzel panted as she ran, turning sharply whenever sand blocked their path, "but I never graduated either. My jinxes weren't working on him. He's got defenses like I've never seen."

She and Eugene ducked into the woods. Merida was hiding behind a tree.

"That's because he's not a mortal," she whispered. "My spells arenae affectin' him either. And durin' all my rescue missions, I got really good at fightin'."

"So what now? We can't run forever," Eugene said. "He's been stalking me for years."

"I think I've got something bigger than a spell. Keep runnin'. We need to run out the clock until it gets here."

Eugene and Rapunzel split off in different directions. Pitch couldn't chase them all.

* * *

Jack sent blasts of wind at his father, then grabbed the pastor's arm and led him though the village as a snow storm swirled around them.

"Jack," the pastor said. "I'm sorry-"

"Save it," Jack snapped. "I am sick of this whole village treating me like a cur. I'll save you this time, because Jokul and Pitch Black are my enemies and I brought them here. But after that, I'm out. If you wanna make enemies with everyone who's different, get used to defending yourself when they don't like it."

Jack practically threw the pastor towards the ice wall.

"My friends cut a hole somewhere in this. See if you can find your way out. I'm going to fight my dad."

"Wait, Jack," the pastor said. Jack waited, ensuring that the snow hid them from view. "The other villagers. They're still trapped here. The other elves are keeping them in their homes."

"Fine," Jack muttered. "I'll draw the elves out. You get the people out."

Jack twirled his staff, lifting into the snow storm.

"I am Jack, son of Jokul!" Jack called out. "Come out, Ice Elves!"

Jack kept a small storm going around him, and a slightly larger one going around the ground. Jokul met him in the air, but Jack, having a staff that was once a broom, had better control over his flight. He managed to dodge his father as the Ice Elves came out to see what was going on.

From the corner of his eye, Jack spotted the pastor, crawling from house to house, leading the Muggles out. Jack had to keep the elves' attention.

"My father says you came to take humans as slaves. As a half-human, half-Ice Elf, I cannot allow this."

"You are not one of us," an elf in brown leaves spat. "You have no power to tell us what to do."

"I have been beyond the grave and back," Jack said. "I carry with me the power of the wizard, the power of the Ice Elf, the power of the Muggle, and the power of the Guardians."

The last bit was added by Nightlight briefly taking over. Jack shook his head to clear it. He didn't need Nightlight. Not for this. This was his battle.

"You can either fight me, and I warn you that this will be a bitter battle that lasts for eternity, or you can make a deal with me."

"What deal would that be?" an elf woman asked. Jack tried to remember how the Elven laws worked as he distracted the elves. Most of the villagers were crawling along the wall, looking for the way out.

"Accept my challenge," Jack said. "Put me to a test. Last time, I fought for the lives of my sister, step-father, and friends. This time, I fight for humanity. If I win, you leave, and do not bother any Muggle or wizard ever again. If I lose, you take me as your first slave."

Jack slowly landed. He'd already been a captive for much of this year. He wasn't looking forward to it. But this way, even if he lost, he could help mitigate the damage, keeping Muggles warm and maybe trying to convince the elves to stop.

"What is your challenge?" an elf asked. Jack could sense the curiosity. They were receptive to the idea. Jack smiled.

"While I could fight all of you in a physical sense, I would prefer not to hurt anyone," Jack said. "Set me an impossible task. If I complete it, I win."

Jack knew he was playing a dangerous game. They could choose anything. He might not be able to do it. But the black sand in the ice wall made him think Pitch Black was behind this attack on his village. And if Pitch Black was behind it, he probably told the elves what Jack feared. Jack knew he could meet that challenge.

The elves looked at each other. Jokul stepped forward, "We must discuss."

"By all means," Jack said, with a mocking bow. "While you are at it, I will give you a taste of what my servitude will be like."

Jack walked around the empty village. All the people were out now. He was alone.

For years, Jack had gone barefoot in this village. He knew what plants to avoid stepping on. Now he wrapped his cloak around his hand and plucked the plants he usually avoided. Once he had several handfuls, he went to the pastor's house. A search of the pantry found a few heads of lettuce and other greens. Jack set about making a salad, remembering how his mother taught Emma how to tear the greens up so they were bite size. Then, carefully, he added the plants from around the village.

"Alright, Jackson Overland Frost," Jokul said. "We have the challenge for you. Your impossible task is to find this snowball. You must find the snowball, and not let it melt."

"Pft, is that all?" Jack asked.

"No," Jokul said, smiling. "You have to stay where it lands for a full five minutes. If you return too soon, you lose."

Jokul made an ice ball, he threw it at the lake. The ice ball shattered the frozen lake, plunging into the icy waters.

Jack steeled himself as his heart started to beat faster. He'd played this game with Pitch. He knew this game. During his time in captivity, Pitch would often force him to relive the sensation of drowning.

Jack was already dead. He couldn't die again. He knew that. But his body was once mortal. It still remembered reflexes meant to keep him alive. He still breathed, his heart still beat, and if a foreign substance like water entered his lungs his body went into panic mode trying to get it out, even though it did nothing.

Jack gave them his salad as a snack to eat while he held his breath and dove into the lake.

The panic set in immediately. He couldn't be here, not now. Not this lake.

 _Don't let the fear control you,_ Nightlight advised. Jack would normally have taken a few calming breaths, but that wouldn't work under water.

Jack concentrated on swimming. Ice normally floated, but Jack had a feeling that this ice ball would be weighted or somehow magicked to fall to the bottom. They wouldn't set him a challenge where he could keep his head in the air.

He reached the bottom of the lake and scanned it for the ice ball. The lake was murky and cold, but not as cold as the ice ball. He found it easily. Keeping the ball in his hand, Jack concentrated on just making his palm cold. Anything else and he would freeze the water around him ... something Pitch Black taught him the hard way the first time he was submerged after dying.

Holding the ball carefully, Jack waited at the bottom of the lake. He had to be careful. He had to use enough power to keep the ice ball frozen, but not so much that any part of the lake froze. It was times like this when he wished the lake was salt water. Saltwater took more power to freeze. It would have been easier.

Fish swam by, curious at the cold in June. Had it been five minutes yet? Eventually he decided it had been.

Jack swam back to the top of the lake. It was still covered in ice. He ran his hand along it, but there was no hole. Jack was trapped under water again.

Desperately, he drove his shoulder into the ice as panic started to come again. It didn't budge.

 _Don't get scared,_ Nightlight said. _The water around you is starting to freeze._

Jack tried to control it. But the longer he was under water. The longer he was not breathing, the more scared he felt. The water grew colder, closing in around him. If he couldn't break through soon, he'd be encased in solid ice.


	4. Battle of Burgess

Maximus stood at attention while Angus flicked his tail at the gnats. Max sniffed, tilting his head away from the other horse. The two horses couldn't have been more different.

Max always paid attention to the world. While he mostly followed orders, he also listened to human speech and sometimes made his own calls, like a few days ago when he openly defied the Captain of the Guard, his owner, to bust Flynn Rider out of jail. Rapunzel's needs came first.

Angus, on the other hand, didn't seem to ever take the initiative. He nibbled at the grass poking out of the snow while waiting for Merida to give more specific orders.

Meanwhile, Pascal slept in one of Maximus's saddle bags. Max wished the little chameleon would wake up. He wasn't as stiff as Angus. It would be more fun to wait with him. Unfortunately, the little reptile was exhausted. Eugene had saved Rapunzel, that much was clear, but the chameleon didn't quite trust him alone with his mistress.

Max, for his part, had many reservations about Eugene as well. He'd traveled with the boy to India last year, but he also remembered Eugene betraying Cassandra and leaving her to die. He didn't think the boy would do that to Rapunzel, but there was a slight chance. Max and Pascal had come to a silent agreement to watch Eugene and prevent him from walking out on Rapunzel.

As he watched Eugene, Rapunzel, and Merida fighting the bad man, some of his doubts were allayed. The boy wasn't going anywhere. He put himself in danger to stop the bad man from hurting Rapunzel. Maybe Max could trust him.

Angus nickered. Max turned to him. A human was petting him. Where did the human come from?

Looking at the hole in the ice, Max saw several more humans. He quickly commanded Angus to lead the people to safely. These were obviously civilians, not fighters. Angus lightly bit the person stroking him and walked on. Max nudged the person, and the next one, and the next one, after Angus. They took the hint and followed the horse away from the village. Once everyone was out, Max took up the rear.

Angus had been to this area before. He led them up to some caves. Then he and Max stood guard as the battles below continued.

* * *

Pitch stood in the woods. He knew where the princesses were hiding. He could sense their fear. He always knew. He knew that the Muggles were terrified of the Ice Elves. He knew that they were attempting to escape the Burgess. He knew that Jack was scared as he floundered in the lake.

Pitch didn't care about the Muggles. They were afraid. They would stay away. These three Hogwarts students trying to play cat and mouse with him? They were far more important. Not only did they possibly have the power to defeat him, if the prophecy was correct, but they were not paralyzed by their fear. Chasing them was fun.

Not quite as fun as getting revenge on Nightlight and Jack, but up there.

Pitch let loose a small wave of black sand along the ground. Rapunzel didn't notice. She crept over the sand, trying to hide. Pitch laughed as he drew the sand back. She stumbled.

"What's the matter, little girl," Pitch mocked. "Do you miss your mommy?"

Her emotions were mixed. Fear was there, yes. He could feel that clearly. The other emotions were harder to read. But Pitch had tortured enough children to know what she might be feeling. He only wanted her to feel the fear.

"She won't protect you," Pitch said. "Not again. Never again. No one will ever protect you."

"Eugene will," Rapunzel whispered.

"After what you did to him?" Pitch asked.

He didn't know exactly what had happened in her tower. He'd come the morning before her birthday when Gothel summoned him to help her scare Rapunzel into compliance. He'd stalked Flynn and Rapunzel to the town, but he couldn't cross the bridge. Not in the kingdom of the sun, with the sundrop present on the day of her festival. He'd felt the fear from Flynn and Rapunzel while they were separated, but he assumed Gothel had caused it, and kept about his business. Then the fear from Gothel came. She always had an undercurrent of fear. Anyone terrified of death did. It spiked any time Rapunzel's life was threatened, or whenever Rapunzel threatened to leave. Usually that was Pitch's signal to come to Gothel's aid, particularly if Rapunzel was supposed to be in her tower.

This time the fear was different. Stronger. More immediate. And then it was gone. Pitch knew Gothel was dead. The only thing that could stop a fear that strong and suddenly is the fear coming true.

Since Rapunzel's and Eugene's fears stopped at the same time, Pitch ignored them. Until Rapunzel's fear popped back up on his radar. After a bit of research, he found both her and Flynn alive. He didn't know how. Now would be the perfect time to probe her. The fear was a bonus.

"He hates you," Pitch said.

Rapunzel trembled. "No. He ... he loves me."

"How could he? After what you did," Pitch said. Rapunzel shivered. For a moment, Pitch could see what she feared. Eugene, lying in a pool of his own blood. It passed very quickly, but it was enough.

"You hurt him," Pitch said. Another fear passed, Gothel saying 'Now look what you've done', while stabbing Flynn. Even if Gothel was dead, at least she'd given Pitch one last present.

"It's your fault!" Pitch reiterated. Rapunzel went pale. Eugene finally came out from his hiding place. He put his arm around Rapunzel.

"It's not true," Eugene whispered to her. He shielded her as he turned to Pitch, "Leave her alone."

"Oh, I could," Pitch said. Flynn may have lost his fear of people discovering his true name, but there was still plenty to pick at. "I see you've shared your name with her, but have you shared your past?"

"Stop it," Eugene said.

"Did he tell you about all the times he helped me out? How he betrayed Jack Frost to me? How he betrayed the Guardians to me? How he almost killed Merida for me?"

"Eugene, you didn't," Rapunzel said. Now it was the boy's face that went pale.

"I didn't follow through," Eugene admitted. "I couldn't. Not after I saw you."

Pitch laughed as both Rapunzel and Eugene started to feel differently. He gave them a moment to work through the betrayal and embarrassment. They would come back to fear soon, but it would be stronger if he gave them a small reprieve. He turned his attention to the Scottish princess.

"What's the matter, traitor?" he called. "You shouldn't be afraid of me. I won't make you face your worst fear. If you come to me, you'll never have to face them. Never have to pay for your crimes. Never have to return your brothers."

The girl came out from behind the trees, her hands clenched in fists.

"I _will_ return me brothers. Catch!"

Merida drew back her hand and hurled something tiny at Pitch. He caught it easily.

"A mouse?" Pitch asked, holding the rodent by its tail.

" _Finite_!" Merida called, waving her wand. The mouse started to grow. Pitch dropped it in shock, but it kept growing, right on top of him, until it was a giant black bear.

* * *

"So, Emma?" Hiccup asked as Toothless sped on. "Tell me again how you ended up on that ship."

"The villagers came for me. They said I was crazy. Possessed. Because I believed that Jack was out there somewhere. They said they would 'cure me'. I'm not sure what they were going to do. Mom told me to get under the cloak. I knew she meant the invisibility cloak, so I did. When the villagers saw me disappear, they attacked. Mom and dad died. I started to run away, but I was too scared. I ran straight into the Ice Elves. They pulled the cloak off and one of them recognized me. He told them to take me to the boat. They were going to take me back to the Winter Woods. The others kept going into our village. One of the elves said to me, 'We're going to wait here for your brother. You'll both love being our slaves.'"

Emma paused as a bug flew in her mouth. Hiccup urged Toothless higher.

"One of the elves flew me to the ship. I begged and pleaded to let me go, and leave my brother alone, but he said that Jack had to pay. He tied me to the mast and put the cloak around me so that no one would be able to find me. Then he went back to our village. I called and cried for hours. But no one came until you."

Hiccup's mind raced as he tried to think of the best way to fight elves. And why had they come in a Viking ship? A Viking ship that was scaring the Muggles of England. Only one person would want to scare them. Hiccup couldn't let him win.

Something clawed at Hiccup's midsection. He grinned as he pulled out a terrible terror.

"Emma, can you write?" Hiccup asked.

"Jack's been teaching me," Emma said.

"English, right? Not Norse? Not runes."

"Not fluently," Emma said, "but I read Jack's Ancient Runes textbook. I didn't understand most of it, but I think I can make some of the letters."

"Great," Hiccup said. He handed Emma a piece of parchment and a charcoal pen.

"Keep a good grip on it," Hiccup instructed. "The wind is strong up here. I've lost papers before."

"Couldn't I steer while you write?" Emma said.

"Someday, maybe. But not now. You don't know how to work Toothless's foot pedal. Now, start with the S, but draw it so it looks like a lightning bolt. Then the K. But unlike an English K, leave off the straight line."

As Hiccup and Emma sped towards Jack, Hiccup coached Emma into writing a letter for help. Hiccup then had her tie the letter securely to his terrible terror and threw it into the air. Hopefully, Astrid and the Riders would be able to remove the Viking ship, letting the English live in peace.

After an hour of riding, the air got noticeably colder. Hiccup didn't have to wonder where Jack's village was. A dome of ice covered it.

"Toothless, Plasma Blast!" Hiccup commanded. Toothless shot his blast at the ice dome, shattering it, causing a light snow on the world below. He landed in the town center ... but no one was there.

"Where would Jack go?" Hiccup asked.

"To our house," Emma said. She pointed down a trail that led to the woods. Toothless walked down the path.

As they neared the cottage on the lake, Hiccup thought he heard whispers, like the trees were laughing. But then he realized it wasn't trees at all. It was the elves. They were standing on a frozen lake, laughing and stomping on it.

"Jack?" Emma said. She started to climb off, but Hiccup grabbed her arm.

"Let Toothless handle this," Hiccup said.

Toothless drew back and fired. The elves were blown back as the purple fire came through, shattering the ice. From the lake, a hand shot up. It grabbed onto a jagged ice floe. A second later Jack's head shot up. Hiccup smiled.

* * *

As Jack took deep grateful breaths, the ice started to close in around him. He struggled to climb out before he was trapped. He couldn't get his left foot out in time.

"I did it!" Jack said, holding up the snowball.

"Ha, lucky," Jokul said, "but you cheated by bringing a dragon."

Jack looked across the field and saw Hiccup and Toothless, and to his relief, Emma. Behind them, Merida, Rapunzel and Flynn ran up. Jack focused on his sister. Her smile filled him with strength. He yanked his foot up. The ice on the lake crumbled as he was freed. As he got his feet on an ice floe, that part of the lake solidified. Jack turned to his father.

"You will go!" Jack said. His timing was perfect. The elves all suddenly started to scratch fervently. Jack snickered. He'd been correct to guess that they wouldn't leave the Muggles alone even if he won.

"Oh man, you don't look so good," Jack giggled. "I think you might be allergic to human food. You know if you keep human slaves, they'll have to have this stuff on hand to survive. That means that every single slave you keep will be able to poison you at any time. You sure you want that responsibility?"

The normally ice-white elves were starting to turn red and blotchy.

"Go home, Elves," Jack said, walking on the ice to his sister. "I won the challenge. I poisoned you, and I am no longer alone."

Jack put his hand on Toothless's snout. The dragon purred under his touch.

Merida, Jack, Hiccup, Rapunzel, Flynn, Toothless and Emma faced the elves. Jokul drew back, as if to throw something at Jack, but one of the other elves blocked him.

They spoke for a moment, in the language of elves. Jack wished he understood it. Jokul eventually dropped his arm. The wind picked up. One by one, the elves disappeared. All but Jokul.

He approached his son.

"My Queen agrees that you passed the test. She also suggests that despite your 'death' you still have the capacity to make people like us. We are to let you be. But know this _my_ _son_. I have no love for you, nor for any human. They have spoiled my fun. Once my Queen's order has cooled, and she no longer watches me. I will be back. I will take as many humans as I can. See how many you can protect."

Jokul snickered as he disappeared. Jack froze. It was his laugh. It sounded so wrong coming from the wicked elf. A taste of what Jack would sound like if he ever let cruelty into his heart. He could never let that happen.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked gently. Jack turned and forced himself to smile.

"Of course. I knew he was a jerk. I have lousy taste in dads," Jack sighed. He turned to his sister and winced. She'd loved John in a way Jack couldn't, "I'm sorry."

Emma jumped off of Toothless and hugged her brother. He sank to his knees as they embraced, both crying for their lost parents while Hiccup explained what happened to the others.

"Jack, we can't be here forever," Merida said, swallowing. "I have my own family to repair."

Jack nodded and stood tall. He found his staff, dropped by the elves, and turned to the woods.

"I should tell the villagers it's safe," Jack sighed.

"You shouldn't say anything to them," Emma said. "I hate them."

"Don't hate, Emma," Jack said slowly. "All of our problems were caused by hate. The Elves hate me because I'm half human. The humans hate me because I'm half Elf. The wizards hate me because I'm Muggleborn. The Muggles hate me because I'm a wizard."

"But I don't hate them because of what they are. I hate them because of what they've done," Emma protested.

Jack struggled to find the words. His mother would have known what to say. But he had to be the parent now. Jack looked to Merida. She nodded.

"Jack is right," Merida said. "My people hated Vikings because Vikings pillaged our villages. But they took their hatred too far, and I had to kidnap my brothers and betray my kingdom to stop it. Now I fear my parents hate me for my actions."

"But you had good reasons. They killed my parents," Emma cried, "for no reason at all."

"Jack and Merida are right," Hiccup said. "Hatred leads to blood feuds, at least in the Archipelago. I've managed to forgive Alvin the Outcast for kidnapping and torturing me."

"No one expects you to forget what happened," Rapunzel added. "And we understand you may never be able to forgive them."

"But holding onto hate, carrying that with you and letting it fester, at such a young age," Eugene said, shaking his head. "It's not good."

"Please, Emma," Jack said, taking her shoulders. "Don't hate them. Don't trust them. But don't hate them. Because if you hate them, you have to hate me."

"You? But you're good."

"I know. I did not intentionally hurt you. But it's my fault your parents are dead. It's my fault Pitch targeted our town. He put that fear in them. He did it to hurt me. Some of it spilled over and hurt you. If you hate anyone. Hate me, for putting a target on your back."

Emma's lip quivered. A few tears slipped out.

"I can't hate you," she whispered. "I'll ... I'll try not to hate them."

"That's my girl," Jack said. He cuffed her lightly on the chin. "Now, let's go find the horses and Muggles."

Following horse and human tracks in the snow, they headed towards the Burgess caves. Toothless and Jack walked with their friends. As they got going, Hiccup tilted his head.

"Um, now that the immediate danger is over. ... who are they again?" Hiccup gestured to Rapunzel and Eugene. Emma nodded in agreement.

"I keep forgetting that none of you remember me," Rapunzel said quickly. "I'm Rapunzel. I used to have magic long blonde hair. This is Eugene, he used to be Flynn Rider. I'm a princess, he was a thief, and we all used to be best friends.

Jack chuckled, "Oh, I think we want to hear the details of _that_ story. I wonder if it's as bad as the time Merida turned her mom into a bear."

"Will you let that drop already!" Merida yelled. The two of them took to quarreling. Jack liked it. It kept his mind off the pain.

* * *

Merida whispered a goodbye to her mouse/bear pet as she and her friends finally found the cave where the Muggles were being sheltered by the horses.

"I drove out the Ice Elves," Jack said, bitterly. "The snow and ice will melt in a few hours. Then you can go home."

Slowly, the people came out into the sun. Jack's friends regarded them coolly. Every one of them knew what Jack's people had done to him, and how they felt about wizards and witches.

The townspeople huddled together. Merida stood next to Jack, taking his hand as a religious looking man came up to them.

"I'm sorry we doubted you, Jack," the man said, giving a slight bow. Jack didn't waver.

"Just go home. Go home and forget me."

"I don't suppose you and your sister will remain with us?" he asked hesitantly. Merida wasn't sure if he wanted Jack to stay or not.

Jack looked down at his sister. She was half hiding behind him.

"No," Jack said. "I only stayed for my family. I'm not going to let you cut it in half _again._ "

Jack picked up his sister, slinging her onto his back as the people made their way home. Merida's hand hurt from Jack's tight, cold grip, but she knew he needed the support.

"Where to next?" Jack snapped once the young people were alone.

"Hogwarts," Merida said. "It's time my brothers went home."

The kids were quiet as they walked, and rode, away from Burgess.

"I'm sorry about your family, Jack," Rapunzel said gently. "You are both welcome to come to Corona. Or at least, you will be once I meet my parents."

"Yeah. The Archipelago is now hidden from non-Vikings, but I would make an exception for you. Berk has the room. And we're so far north that it's always cold. Jack would fit in."

"I'd offer you a room at Castle DunBroch as well, but I don't know that I'm fit to give it," Merida said, thinking of her family. "If Mother and Father do forgive me, I'd take you both in in a heartbeat."

"Thanks, guys," Jack said. "That means a lot."

"And I know I haven't been there in a while, but I know a really awesome orphanage in Corona. Jack might have aged out of the system, besides being technically dead, but the kid's probably welcome," Eugene added.

"I don't want to leave Jack," Emma said. "Not ever again."

"And I'm never gonna leave you," Jack promised, smiling. "We're going to have fun and play every day."

"Just no more ice skating," Emma said.

"Don't worry about that," Jack chuckled. "My powers are back. No one will ever fall through when I'm around."

A roar came from the distance. She knew that roar. The black bear that she'd set on Pitch.

"Do ... Do you suppose that the bear killed Pitch?" Merida asked.

"What bear?" Jack asked. Rapunzel explained how they'd fought him off while Jack was fighting his dad.

Jack's face went passive. He put Emma down on the ground and stared at them with blank eyes.

"Pitch cannot be killed," Nightlight's voice spoke. "Not by you. Not without celestial weapons."

"So I guess a forest black bear is only a minor inconvenience," Eugene said.

"Hardly even that," Nightlight said. "All he has to do is melt in the shadows and reappear somewhere else."

Nightlight's face twitched and an angry face replaced it.

"Will you quit that!" Jack yelled at himself. He looked down at his sister, "Sorry, Emma. I've got a ... er... condition. The good news is that you get two dads now."

"Wait, wait wait," Eugene said. "So if Pitch can escape the bear so easily, why didn't he?"

"The bear appeared at the same time Hiccup broke the ice wall," Rapunzel said. "We all assumed the bear would take care of Pitch and followed Hiccup."

"And Pitch didn't pursue us because ... ?" Hiccup said, scratching his head.

"Me brothers!" Merida wailed, seeing the end game. "He knew he'd lost the Burgess Battle when Hiccup showed up and Jack beat his dad. Rather than challenge us for partial victory, I bet he went after my family."

"They're safe at Hogwarts, aren't they?" Rapunzel asked.

"Hogwarts is only safe to a point," Eugene said. "Even if he can't get in, he might have people on the inside under his thumb. Like he once had me."

"No time to waste, let's get to those boys!" Hiccup said.

"We'll race, it'll be fun," Jack added, grabbing onto his sister. He and Toothless took to the sky as the others on the horses rode north.


	5. Racing to Hogwarts

Jack was right, Hiccup thought. Racing was way more fun than simply running. He let out Toothless' tail to its full extent and shot forward.

Hiccup leaned down as Toothless soared above the trees. He checked below him. Merida had cast a speed spell on all of them so that they would be evenly matched in their race to Hogwarts. Sort of. Both horses were powerful runners, but Angus only had to carry Merida, while Maximus carried both Eugene and Rapunzel. There was no mistaking that Eugene was the heaviest of the six humans, so it was only natural that the white horse had fallen into last place.

Rapunzel didn't seem to mind being slower, with Eugene's arms wrapped around her. Merida, on the other hand, pushed her horse to race forward, but with brush and other obstacles to navigate, Jack and Toothless were fast outpacing him.

Hiccup was a bit surprised that Jack managed to take the lead, considering he was carrying his Muggle sister.

"Come on, bud. We can take them!" Hiccup whispered to Toothless. The dragon pumped his wings. They were getting closer, and closer, and suddenly Hiccup shuttered.

 _Not this again._ _Please not this again_ , Hiccup begged the gods. Suppressing his sudden feelings of fear, he managed to press on, and once again started to overtake Jack. He had to focus on the fun of winning. That would help.

It did help.

A little too well. He was so excited to be winning, he and Toothless moving as one, that he didn't notice Jack pulling back until Toothless whined. Hiccup glanced over his shoulder to see Jack land in front of the girls, who'd stopped. He turned Toothless and descended. Were they afraid, too?

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked. She was looking at Merida. Merida must have called for the stop.

Merida was looking at Emma. "I just remembered. Hogwarts is closed to Muggles. Er, sort of. Muggles can technically get in if a wizard brings them, but it's difficult. You have to get permission from Headmaster Ombric and the security spells have to be lessened."

"You told me you brought mixed Muggle families in," Hiccup said, remembering one of their discussions while they planned which refugees would go to Berk.

"Yeah, over last summer I did. But with so many anti-Muggle haters, I was worried that a Muggleborn kid might try to sneak the witch hunters in, you know, to take revenge. Or they'd bring their parents, and the parents would be killed. So we upped the security once students arrived. I don't think anyone's taken it down."

"So, I can't bring Emma," Jack said flatly. He put her down on the ground and regarded her.

"NO!" Emma cried. "You promised. We'll be together forever. You promised!"

"I guess I could stay with her ..." Jack said.

"I wish you'd come with us," Merida said. "If I thought I could take Pitch alone, I would have apparated to Hogsmeade. But the prophecy says it will take all of us."

"Maybe I could help for a minute? I'll just nip over to Hogwarts and be right back. I promise I will come back. Quick as a cottontail." As he said it, Jack acted like a bunny, hopping and sniffing the air. All of them giggled.

"I don't wanna burst anyone's bubble," Eugene said, "but is it just me, or does leaving a little kid alone in a hostile wood sound like a really, really bad idea?"

"I am not a little kid," Emma protested, her voice squeaking.

"You're right. We're not going to leave Emma here," Hiccup agreed, somewhat happy to have an excuse to leave Scotland. "To the island?"

Everyone nodded. Everyone except Rapunzel, Eugene and Emma, who had no clue what the island was. Hiccup quickly explained, and they resumed their race. Now heading away from Hogwarts, the scary feelings left.

Jack and Emma won, reaching the safety of the island first. Jack tapped his staff to the water making an ice bridge for the horses to walk across.

The lords' sons met them on the island.

"So ... now what?" Wee Dingwall asked as they took a brief rest before continuing to Hogwarts.

"Now it's time to do my duty," Merida said, "and return my brothers. My parents have kept their word. Magic is legal and wizards and witches are free to leave."

"But the country's still at war," Macintosh said.

"I know," Merida replied, "but Mum and Dad have done everything they can do. It's up to the people now, to put aside their hate. I can't keep holding my brothers hostage. Muggles, start heading towards DunBroch. You'll be safe there, and I'll meet up with you later."

"Be a good girl," Jack called.

"This isn't fair!" Emma yelled back as he took to the air. "I'm coming with you next time!"

Hiccup had been right when he'd chosen this island, it was not far from Hogwarts. But as they drew nearer, his sense of foreboding acted up again. Hiccup, without meaning to, pulled sharply on Toothless's head harness. The dragon stopped as Hiccup let the feeling wash over him. His friends stopped, too.

"What's wrong?" Rapunzel asked gently, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing. It's nothing," Hiccup lied.

Jack descended from the skies, "I said that to you at the beginning of the year. You asked me what my problem was, and I said nothing. But you didn't believe me. You were right. I hear myself when you say 'nothing'. This is something."

"Yeah, I'm with Jack on this," Merida said. "Spill it."

Surrounded by his friends, Hiccup confessed, "All year ... all year I've been afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Merida asked.

Hiccup glanced up at her, "You."

Merida recoiled.

"Well ... not always," Hiccup amended. "I didn't know what I was afraid of. It's just random panic attacks. The only thing they have in common is that they all happened when I was entering, or living in, Scotland. A few nightmares centered around ... you turning me into a Fearling."

"I know why," Nightlight said, taking over Jack's body.

Jack quickly regained control, "Will you quit that!"

Nightlight took over again, "I am helping your friend. You should be glad. Pitch Black is still within him."

"No," Hiccup said. "He couldn't be-"

"On our boat ride over here, Rapunzel told me all about what you've done. Including being turned into a Fearling last year," Eugene said.

"But-but," Hiccup stammered. He put his hand to his forehead and thought. He knew that he'd gotten rid of the Fearling somehow. He wasn't one. But the details of the event were fuzzy. Astrid was there. And someone else. Some soft glow ... Hiccup took a guess, "Rapunzel?"

"And why do you believe she can cure you?" Nightlight responded.

"Her hair," Eugene said. "Professor Manny Lunanoff came to me when I was dead. He said Rapunzel's hair was the result of a drop of sunlight."

"No," Rapunzel said. "Mother said it was a potion my mother drank."

"Um ... " Jack said, "actually, it's both. Mother Gothel told me the whole story. I guess unbreakable vows aren't unbreakable once you die. Your mom drank a potion, made from a flower born from a drop of sunlight."

"The sun?" Rapunzel said, her fingers reaching up to trace hair that wasn't there. Realizing her mistake, she lowered her hands. "But what's that have to do with anything?"

Eugene answered her.

"Pitch told me when he expelled me that he could be harmed by 'celestial weapons'. I didn't know what it meant at the time. But after seeing your hair glow, and hearing his reactions to it, I'm pretty sure your hair was what he was afraid of."

"I wish I still had it," she mumbled. Eugene was quick to give her a reassuring pat. On her shoulder, not her head.

"Great," Hiccup said. "So I've still got that bit of Fearling in me. What can I do about it?"

Jack closed his eyes, "Sandman got it out of me. I bet he can cure you."

"Where is Sandman?" Merida asked.

The others shrugged.

"I bet the Guardians will know," Rapunzel said. "If you can go on, Hiccup, I bet at least one of them is protecting Hogwarts."

"Yeah, yeah. I can go on," Hiccup said, pushing down the sick feeling. Somehow, knowing it was a Fearling still inside him made it even worse. Pitch could have been using the Fearling in him to spy on them all year. Rapunzel's kidnapping and memory erase, Jack's death, Merida's brothers. It was all his fault.

* * *

Leaving Hiccup to his feelings, the quartet continued to the castle. Eugene swallowed. now was as good a time as any to tell her. He whispered in Rapunzel's ear.

"When I was dead, Manny told me more than just the origin of your hair. He told me the sundrop was not gone. He said you could beat Pitch."

"He did?" Rapunzel asked, starting.

"Yeah. But that was before you cried on me. He didn't get a chance to tell me how you could use it."

"I suppose I'm supposed to figure it out so we can fulfill the prophecy."

"I never heard the prophecy."

"Oh, it says that if the four of us don't do something, Pitch will succeed in changing the world."

"Um, look around. The world has changed," Eugene pointed out.

"Maybe we can make it go back to the way it was?" Rapunzel suggested.

"Maybe," Eugene agreed. "Or maybe you don't want to."

"But ... but the world is terrible now," Rapunzel stammered.

"Yeah. But was it all that good before? I mean, look at Hogwarts. Look at its foundation. It's literal foundation. The lowest level is Slytherin, founded to exclude Muggles and Muggleborns. There are even rumors of a deeper chamber. A Chamber of Secrets, if you will, which was made to destroy Muggleborns. The school was built on hatred of Muggles. And it's not just them."

Rapunzel tensed, but Eugene went on.

"People have been attacked for practicing witchcraft before Pitch started this war. Yes, he made it worse. but maybe you don't want to put things back the way they were. Maybe you don't want to leave this hatred festering, waiting for a time when you aren't around to stop Pitch. Maybe you can put a stop to it now. Because I have to tell you, I don't want to go back to being poor mudblood Eugene. And I don't think you want to go back to your tower."

Rapunzel rocked in the saddle, contemplating his words. Merida held up her hand.

Eugene listened as the warrior princess told them her plan to zip into Hogwarts, grab her brothers and then be on their way to DunBroch.

Though it had been many years since he'd been to Hogwarts, he knew something was off.

Dark, black sand swirled around the castle, smoke came billowing out of broken upper windows. At least, he assumed it was smoke. Sometimes, it took on a shape and ran around the building.

Jack held his staff, Merida drew her bow, Rapunzel clutched her frying pan. Eugene, having no weapons, held onto Rapunzel. The least he could do is keep her from falling off.

Jack took off, running up to the building and hitting one of the black shapes with his staff. It froze solid. The hunk of black ice fell to the ground. It shattered on impact, but left an imprint in the soft ground. A horse shaped imprint. Those things were Night Mares.

"What works against them?" Eugene asked. He'd never fought them himself, but Pitch had told him about them.

"My hair," Rapunzel said, her face growing pale.

"It's okay," Hiccup said, giving Toothless a pat. "I think we can handle them."

Toothless sent a blast at the nearest Night Mare. It turned to dust.

"What can I do, what can I do?" Rapunzel mumbled.

"I'm sure you can do something," Eugene said. "I believe in you. You're strong enough."

Rapunzel grinned. Eugene gave Maximus a kick and the horse ran around the castle, keeping them out of harm's way while Rapunzel thought. She held her frying pan, but it wasn't a ranged weapon, and he didn't want to bring her close to a Night Mare only to find out it didn't work.

"I have an idea," Rapunzel said finally, "but I need a wand. Mother took mine."

"Here you go!" Jack called, tossing her a stick. "I don't need it now that I'm dead."

"I'm still not sure it'll work," Rapunzel said, gripping the strange wand.

"Just go for it," Eugene encouraged. "Probably won't hurt."

Rapunzel held out her wand, _"EXPECTO PATRONUM_!"

A white light shot from her wand. The light solidified into an animal. A bird. It dive-bombed the Night Mares, having the same effect as Toothless's blasts.

"I did it!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

"I knew you could," Eugene said. "Now what?"

Rapunzel scanned the castle. "I'm not sure how long my spell will last. Let's find if anyone is trapped in the castle."

She cast a breakage spell at a window and Maximus jumped through, carrying his two riders.

Eugene held his breath. He hadn't been inside Hogwarts in a very, very long time. Things he hadn't thought of in years came rushing back to him. Girls he dated. Homework he forgot. Classes he skipped.

But there was no mistaking that this was not the school he left. That school was bustling with life. This one was deserted, with an oppressive atmosphere.

"Hey, Rapunzel," Eugene said, trying to break the silence with something other than the hard clip-clop of Maximus's feet. "Are we even sure there's someone here? It's summer."

"I'm not really sure of anything," Rapunzel admitted, "but Merida left her brothers here when she went to look for Jack. And there were other refugees here, too. Even if the students went home, the refugees have nowhere to go."

"Maybe we should split up," Rapunzel suggested. Maximus neighed in protest as she slid off. Eugene followed.

"Maximus," Rapunzel said. "We need to make sure everyone is out of the castle."

"I'll stay with her," Eugene promised the horse. Max looked at him suspiciously, then trotted off.

Rapunzel and Eugene set off, up the stairs.

"Where are we going?" Eugene asked.

"Ravenclaw," Rapunzel said. "I doubt Merida or Jack could solve the riddle to get in."

Eugene smiled. He'd forgotten that's how you get into Ravenclaw. Last time he thought of the house it had been after a date that did not go well.

They reached the tower, only encountering minor smoke, and complete silence. The knocker asked a riddle, and Rapunzel answered. The door swinging open to reveal …nothing. A completely empty space.

"Maybe they left when the Night Mares attacked," Eugene suggested.

"Then the Night Mares would have stopped attacking," Jack Frost said, landing beside them.

"You drove them off?" Rapunzel asked, reaching for her hair. Eugene saw her hand about to miss, aiming for tresses no longer there. He put his hand out and caught her fingers. She entwined her hand with his.

"You had a great idea," Jack said. "Toothless could only take out eight of them before his shots ran out. But Merida, Hiccup and I all cast Patronuses. I don't think it destroyed the Night Mares, but it should be a while before they reform. You can keep my wand, by the way. My staff works just as well. Plus, I can use it to fly and make ice."

Eugene looked around the castle

His eyes caught a bit of movement.

"There!" Eugene exclaimed. He raced to the movement, following it down a floor only stopping just before he ran into its source. It was a ghost.

* * *

Merida and Hiccup followed the sound of Jack's laughter. He chortled over a red-faced Eugene.

"Oh man! You should see the look on your face," Jack bellowed. "You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"I did!" Eugene snapped. "There weren't ghosts running around Hogwarts in my time."

The ghost was laughing, too. As Merida drew near, she saw it was Peeves.

"Lucky Jack is with us," she whispered to Hiccup. "Jack! Ask him where my brothers are."

"OH! You want to know about the ickle mudbloods, do you?" Peeves said.

Jack stepped in, "Come on Peeves. We all know you know everything. Besides. I have a great idea for a prank. It'll make all the professors really mad. But we do need to get Merida's brothers first. Or there'll be nowhere for you to haunt."

"Alright. For you, Jack," Peeves said. "It's no fun, pranking those Night Mares and Fearlings. All the humans have gathered in the Slytherin Dungeon."

"They let Muggleborns into Slytherin?" Merida asked, her jaw dropping.

"Had to," Peeves said. "It's the safest place from the Night Mares."

He popped out of existence. The five people raced down to the dungeon.

Jack and Eugene stopped in front of the door.

"Salazar!" Jack shouted. The door remained closed. He folded his arms, "Of course. I've been gone for half a year. The password has changed."

"Last time I was here, it was 'pureblood'," Eugene commented. Again, the door remained closed.

Merida tried knocking, while Jack continued to guess at the password.

"It's something awful, probably," he muttered. "What would they say to keep Muggles out-?"

The door suddenly opened. Everyone stopped and stared at it. No one was there. They must have said the correct password.

Merida pushed her way into the room, running in search of her brothers. She found them, along with the rest of the Hogwarts inhabitants, holed up in one of the dorm rooms. She ran to the boys, sweeping them up in a large hug.

Jack followed close behind her. The others in the room gasped when they saw him.

"You ... I thought you left," Derek mumbled.

"Left - died, who cares?" Jack said. "What's going on here?"

A third year Gryffindor boy, Hardwin, spoke up, "Night Mares and Fearlings have been attacking the school for the last two days."

"Since my birthday," Rapunzel whispered.

"The ghosts, except for Peeves, took battle with the Fearlings, but we couldn't think of how to fight the Night Mares," the Slytherin girl, Iolanthe said. She took Hardwin's hand and gave him a smile. Merida reeled back a bit. Aside from her and Jack Frost, she'd assumed Slytherins and Gryffindors were incapable of getting along.

"It was Hardwin who figured it out," Iolanthe said. "The Night Mares can't hold their shape under water, so we moved here, where we're under the lake."

"Less to defend," Hardwin explained, "and also since Pitch Black used to be head of this house, and his daughter is now, we figured he might go light on it."

"And, he suggested changing the password," Iolanthe added, batting her eyes, "to something that no one who knew Slytherin would ever consider."

"Muggle!" Jack snapped.

"Yeah," Derek said. "I didn't think it would work, but the Night Mares haven't gotten in yet."

"Where is Mother Nature?" Hiccup asked. "Or Headmaster Ombric, Katherine, Toothiana ... Bunnymund?"

Iolanthe held out a wooden box.

"When the Night Mares first attacked, they ran out to defend us. But it was a trap. They were sucked into this box."

"Iolanthe grabbed it before the Night Mares could take it to Pitch. But we can't get it open."

Merida looked to her friends, "Any ideas?"

Jack twitched and shuttered. Finally, his face became calm and steady, with no expression.

Jack reached forward, his face pale, "May I?"

Iolanthe handed him the box. Jack, or Nightlight, as Merida assumed, took the box. He ran his hands over all the lines and ridges, ice forming in certain places. Finally, there was a sharp crack. The box broke, and the Guardians sprang out.

* * *

Jack regained control of his body as the Guardians regained their full size.

All the Guardians. Ombric, Katherine, Toothiana, Bunnymund, North and Sandy. The only one missing was the Man in the Moon. Jack assumed he was still in the moon.

When he saw them, hope filled his chest ... only to fly away when Katherine and Ombric blinked and open their eyes. Jack wished he was invisible as he remembered the last time he saw them. The woman's cold corpse in his arms. Katherine pronouncing her dead. No one knew. No one, but Katherine and Ombric.

Jack's heart beat fast. What did they think of him? What would his friends think of him? Would the Guardians tell them? Would they banish him again?

Jack swallowed and faced the Guardians. No point in hiding from them. His fear would alert Pitch to his presence. Better to get it over with.

Eyes cast down, Jack spoke, "I'm sorry."

"Jack?" Katherine said. She reached out and touched his face.

"Running away was very irresponsible," Ombric scolded.

"What's he talking about?" Rapunzel asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Merida asked.

Jack had to put in an effort to not let the room get colder. He bit his lip, "I ... I did something horrible ... I ... I killed someone."

The last word came out as a whisper, but everyone in the room heard it.

"Ha! I knew you were dangerous," Mr. Gaunt sneered.

"Shut up!" Merida said. She turned to Jack, "I'm sure you didn't."

"That's why you were so weird when you came to me," Eugene said. "That's why you told me where the tower was."

"Yes," Jack whispered. He couldn't keep it in. The room's temperature started to drop. His mouth felt parched. Jack turned and started to leave.

"No, wait!" Katherine said. "Your friends are right. You didn't do it."

"What?" Jack said, turning sharply.

Ombric stood tall, "When you brought us to her, I looked into her past. She'd been dead for four days. Long before you came along and made that storm."

"But the boy, her son!"

"He'd been petrified," Katherine said. "Placed there, with her corpse. He was given mandrake potion just as you landed. He woke up in your storm, with no memory that he'd been frozen for days. To him it all happened suddenly."

"But ... but who gave him the potion?" Jack stammered.

Katherine and Ombric exchanged a glance, "Mother Nature."

"But she likes me!" Jack said, a bit louder than he meant to.

"Mother Nature can never be trusted," Bunny said, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Toothiana agreed. "I have been on this earth for a very long time, and so has she. In that time, one thing is constant. Mother Nature is unpredictable, and on no one's side. You have been fortunate to be in her good graces the past few years. But like nature always does, she turns deadly in an instant."

"She helped her dad," Bunny spat. "Helped him frame you, so you'd do something stupid."

"I fell for it," Jack said, going cold. "All of it. I ... I gave away Rapunzel's location. I mean, I'm glad Flyn-Eugene could be trusted ... but ... but-"

"Do not yourself worry," North said, putting his large hand on Jack's shoulder. "For some time we all fall to tricks. Look at us. Durmstrang fell. Hogwarts is falling."

"Durmstrang fell?" Hiccup interjected.

"Everyone is Fearling," North confirmed. "Hogwarts is only stronghold still holding."

"What about the safe locations?" Merida prompted. "Hogsmeade, Santoff Claussen, ... Godric's Hollow."

"Not complete chaos, like the schools. But fear and hate have wormed their way in," Ombric informed them. "Pitch's primary attack is currently on Hogwarts. Once it falls, his Night Mares will spread out. We will never be able to undo all their damage if we don't stop it now."

"I can't think about it," Tooth said, falling a bit. "We may not be enough. We should see if Manny can provide us with aid."

"What can he do?" Hiccup asked.

North chuckled, patting his belly. "He's oldest, 'cept for Nightlight and Bunnymund. Maybe Sandy. Sandy won't tell age."

Sandy shrugged a bit.

The Guardians walked towards the door. Katherine paused, "Are you coming, Jack?"

"I can come?" Jack asked, a bit bewildered. Even though Nightlight had told him the Man in the Moon made him a Guardian, he couldn't quite believe they'd want him.

"Of course. The Man in the Moon chose you," Toothiana said. "He must have had a reason. Now that you're one of us, whatever the Man in the Moon does will affect you. You should have a say."

Jack looked towards his human friends. They all smiled encouragingly.

"Go," Rapunzel said. "We'll help out here and look after Emma."

Jack smiled and stepped out into the castle. He was a Guardian.


	6. Peace at Last

Rapunzel watched as Jack left, a pain in her heart. It finally hit her that Jack was no longer human. He could never be one of them again. Eugene squeezed her hand reassuringly. She turned to the others.

Some of the adults were muttering about Jack. Merida was petting her brothers' hair, explaining what was going on to them. Hiccup was hopping from foot to foot - er, foot to peg, in the corner.

"Are you alright?" she asked him.

"I meant to ask Sandy about the Fearling," Hiccup said, "but I didn't get the chance."

"We'll meet again, I'm sure," Rapunzel promised, hoping her words were true. "He'll sort you out."

"We should get moving," Hiccup said. "Whether Pitch is the cause of my fear or not, if he can sense it, he knows we're here. It won't be long before the Night Mares attack. And I smell smoke."

Rapunzel took a breath. She smelled it too. The castle must be on fire.

"What do you think, Rapunzel?" Eugene asked.

"What if I make the wrong decision?" Rapunzel said, biting her lip.

Eugene held her close. "You won't."

Their lips met. Rapunzel melted. When they broke off, she turned to everyone.

"Alright. Merida, we came to get your brothers and fulfill your treaty. That's exactly what you and Hiccup are going to do. The rest of you, you're going to escape the castle before it falls. Use the secret passageways. Get out before Pitch sends something worse than Night Mares and Fearlings. And don't be afraid."

"Um, who are you?" Derek asked.

"Right. I forgot. No one knows who I am," Rapunzel said, shrinking a bit. Why had she let Mother talk her into erasing everyone's memory?

"This is my friend Rapunzel. Princess Rapunzel of Corona. Aka, the Lost Princess," Merida announced. "And she's absolutely right. You did good in picking this hiding spot. But it won't last forever."

"And where will?" Iolanthe asked.

"Corona," Eugene suggested. "At least for a bit. I have been all over the world. Of all the places I've seen, Corona has the least amount of hate. I think it has to do with the magic flower."

"Magic flower?" a kid asked.

"A drop of sun that fell to the earth in Corona," Eugene explained. "It's gone now. But if there's still some magic, a root or something, it might protect the area from Pitch."

"Once we're out of the school, we'll apparate the children away," Mr. Gaunt volunteered.

"ALL the children?" Merida demanded, standing with the Muggleborns.

"I may not think they belong in a school for wizards," he said with disdain, "but I would not leave them for dead."

"We'll make sure he doesn't," Hardwin promised, taking Iolanthe's hand.

The children were about to evacuate when Rapunzel noticed something poking out from under Hiccup's vest. She grabbed the corner and pulled out the invisibility cloak.

Iolanthe's eyes went wide.

"My grandfather's cloak!" she said. "I never thought I'd see it again after he died."

"Didn't know it was yours," Merida said, shrugging. "We got it from Pitch."

Rapunzel had intended to use it to cause the distraction, but seeing the longing in the Slytherin girl's eyes, she couldn't keep it. Merida and Hiccup silently nodded their agreement, and Rapunzel passed the cloak to the girl.

"Thank you," Iolanthe said, donning the clock and disappearing. "My grandfather Ignotus taught me what to do. I'll make sure the path is clear."

"And we'll cause a distraction," Hiccup said. "Ready? Let's go."

* * *

Peter marched through the woods after another fight with his neighbor. Once more, his mother had chosen the witch over him.

He glanced up at the night sky. Mother might be missing him, but he didn't care. Why should he? His mother should have picked him. She shouldn't side with all those horrible wizards. They never helped.

Deciding against returning to Godrick's Hollow, he instead thought of his father. Almost a full year ago, his father had seen the truth. He'd seen how wicked wizards and witches could be. He tried to save his children ... but Mother got in the way. Making up his mind, Peter set off for his old home. Hopefully, Father would be there. Then Peter could do what he should have done so long ago: Help take down the wizards and witches. Once and for all.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless left the dungeon first. They turned away from the secret passageways that led to Hogsmeade, instead heading towards the Great Hall. Toothless making as much noise as possible, and Hiccup caving into his fears. He needed the Night Mares to follow him.

As they reached the second floor, he could see the fire had spread to every rug and tapestry. Fortunately, Toothless was mostly fireproof, and Hiccup was used to being singed.

He doused the flames where he could as he made his way out of the castle, hopefully drawing the Night Mares with him.

While Hiccup cast the water spell, sending jets of cool liquid into the air, he heard hoof beats of the Night Mares behind him. He urged Toothless to go faster. The girls could put out the rest of the fire.

Toothless ran through the building. The heat flying past reminded Hiccup of the battle with the Red Death. Somehow, this was scarier. Maybe it was the Fearling in him, or maybe more was at stake. A timber crackled and snapped, nearly hitting Hiccup on the head.

"Let's get out," Hiccup said to Toothless. The dragon put on a burst of speed and crashed through a window. Night Mares followed. Hiccup and Toothless galloped into the woods, the black sandy horses following the pair. As they raced, Hiccup thought of everything he knew about them.

They couldn't stand light, particularly Celestial Light. They didn't like laughter. They were attracted to fear. And they apparently dissolved in water. Taking that information, Hiccup steered Toothless to the river that ran through the forest. Toothless flew just above it, weaving between the trees. Any time a Night Mare got too close, he would dive into the water.

It worked for a while, but Hiccup couldn't breathe under water. And more Night Mares were gathering. They needed Celestial Light. But where could he get some?

* * *

As the wizards filed out, Merida took Harris, Hamish and Hubert aside.

"We're going home. Going to see Mum and Dad," she said. "Now be very good, and let my friends help you out of the castle."

Merida handed Hubert to Rapunzel and Hamish to Eugene. She took hold of Harris herself. He seemed in much better health than the last time she saw him. For one, he was awake, but he was still thinner than his brothers, and weaker. She wouldn't trust him with anyone else.

Rapunzel and Eugene left with their charges, Merida soon followed. Harris coughed as they stepped out into the burning building. She pulled out her wand and cast the flame freeze spell. But the spell wouldn't work for long, especially as the dark smoke got thicker. She lost sight of Rapunzel and Eugene. They must have headed for an exit.

"M... Merida," Harris asked, his eyes opening as he coughed.

"Don't worry. We're almost out," Merida said. She cast a water spell, sending cooling jets of water before them. Running over the extinguished flames, she made it to a window.

The disappearing spell did nothing. Hogwarts must have magical windows. She rammed her shoulder into the glass. The force nearly jolted Harris from her arms, and probably jolted the arm from the socket, but it put a crack in the glass. She tried again, this time shattering the glass. She carefully crawled through, holding her cloak over Harris so he wouldn't get cut. She did not get so lucky but there was no time to tend minor scrapes. She ran to the forest, where Angus pawed anxiously. Rapunzel and Eugene were not there. Had they been trapped by the flames? Or had they gotten out? Would they have headed to Castle DunBroch?

She wished she could remember Rapunzel. She'd just put two of her brothers into the care of … well, strangers. What if Jack was wrong? What if it was his memories that had been modified, not hers? Could Rapunzel and Eugene be enemies … using Jack to trick Merida into handing over wizard brothers? And what was she to do now?

* * *

Maximus had never been inside Hogwarts before. Being a horse, most of his duties kept him outside. Once or twice he was allowed into the Corona palace, but few outside the Coronian court and Guard understood him.

They all thought him a simple animal. No better than Merida's horse, Angus, always waiting for new orders.

He trotted all through the school building, finding no one and nothing. Nothing but fire. As the flames grew higher and closer, he noticed black shapes behind them. The shapes of horses. The Night Mares had returned.

Maximus neighed at them. The horses returned his chatter. He could understand them. They told him Pitch had instructed them to hunt the humans.

He told them to go away, but unlike the horses in the Royal Guard, these Night Mares did not recognize him as their leader. They continued their pursuit. Maximus followed. They could sense human fear where Maximus could not.

They would lead him to the humans.

They did.

And the humans they led him to were his own. Rapunzel and the thief, along with two trembling red-haired boys. The two young adults were standing over the children, defending them from the Night Mares. Rapunzel sang, but nothing happened.

Maximus whinnied and charged. The Night Mares backed away. Max challenged them in horse speech. Not an order. They wouldn't listen to an order from a different master. But they would accept a challenge from a rival.

Pascal woke up. The chameleon crawled to Rapunzel and grabbed her frying pan with his tail. He passed it to Maximus who took it in his teeth. He charged at the Night Mares, kicking them with front and back hooves, hitting them with the frying pan. Each time he hit, it was with such force that the Night Mares disintegrated. He took them all out. Rapunzel and Eugene quickly put the two children on his back.

"Thank you, Maximus," Rapunzel said, stroking his snout. She picked up Pascal and they raced out of the building.

"We were looking for you when those things attacked us," Rapunzel explained. "We couldn't escape."

Maximus puffed out his chest as he led them away, finding a safe exit.

* * *

Jack, unaware of the fire below, stood in the shadows in the astronomy tower as the Guardians spoke with the Man in the Moon through a moonbeam. Jack didn't understand the language, though he was sure Nightlight did.

Several times the Guardians turned to look at him. Was that ... sadness?

"No. I won't do it. Not again!" Katherine cried.

"You won't lose him," Tooth said. "You'd remember."

"No! He … you can't make him!" Katherine protested.

"What's going on?" Jack asked.

Sandman made several symbols, but Jack had no clue what they meant.

Katherine's eyes were filled with sorrow, "Manny... the Man in the Moon … he says we're too weak."

"You can't do anything to beat Pitch?" Jack asked.

"Manny has idea," North said. "If we all work together with Manny, he can change the nature of the Guardians. Of those born in Golden Age, and touched by Celestial Light."

The Guardians glanced at one another.

Ombric spoke, "It is a very, very complicated spell. It will require all of us. It will affect all of us. Including you."

"But it would stop Pitch?" Jack asked.

"Maybe," Katherine said. "But it's not worth it. It might hurt you. It might hurt Nightlight. And for only a "maybe" on stopping Pitch. We might still lose."

"If there's a chance, we should take it," Jack said. "Pitch will continue to attack whether you do anything or not. I don't want him to keep terrorizing the world. I want my sister to grow up in a safe, fun world. Not this."

The Guardians nodded gravely.

North took the lead, "Everyone, to your continent. The spell must affect the whole earth. Katherine, Ombric you take the Americas."

"What's the Americas?" Jack asked.

North ignored him, "I'll handle the North Pole, Russia and Europe. Tooth, can you get your fairies over Asia? And Sandy, you've got Africa."

"I've got Australia," Bunny volunteered.

"Where should I go?" Jack asked.

"You don't know the spell," Katherine said. Nightlight took over.

"I do" Nightlight said. Jack was still aware as Nightlight directed his actions. All the Guardians froze, but Katherine slowly approached.

"Nightlight?" she asked.

He nodded. She reached forward for him, then pulled away.

"No, you're ... you're still a student," she said, more to herself. "It's not appropriate. And I can't lose you again."

Nightlight continued to speak, "Katherine."

He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Nightlight, stop," Katherine said sadly, tears in her eyes. "I can't. Not in that body. He's still just a boy. I'm a teacher. I can't."

Nightlight retracted his hand, and then his mind from Jack. Jack could still feel the ache in his heart, even though the feelings were not his.

"Nightlight knows what to do," Jack said. "I can fly to Antarctica. He can cast the spell there."

"Go swiftly, Jack," Ombric said. "We must all cast the spell, then reconvene. Tooth Palace is the safest."

Jack didn't wait to hear the rest, he jumped out the window into the night.

* * *

After a long hike, Peter found his village. Everything was as he remembered. There was the butcher's, the baker's and the candlestick-maker's. He turned down the narrow alley that lead to his old home. The wooden structure stood still in the silent village. He hoped his father hadn't moved away since losing his family.

He knocked on the door. Luck was with the boy. A man with a long, scraggly beard opened it. He'd never seen his father look so ragged. But as the man looked down at the teen, his mouth broke into a grin.

"Pete!"

Peter was enveloped in a bear hug.

"Dad, your beard is scratching me," Peter protested, pushing his dad away. There was stench coming from the house, as though it hadn't been cleaned since Mother left.

"You broke free of her spell," his dad said, finally stepping back.

"Yeah. I guess I did," Peter said. He wasn't aware that he was under any spell. But what other explanation could there be for how wrong he'd been?

"Where are Josh and Alice?" his father asked. "Are they here?"

"No," Peter said, thinking of his siblings. "They're happy in Godrick's Hollow."

"Godrick's Hollow?" his father said. "Where's that?"

For a moment, Peter hesitated. His mother had gone there to keep her safe from Muggles. So had the rest of the residents. _If they cared so much about being safe from Muggles_ , he thought, _perhaps they should have treated the few they knew better._

"Godrick's Hollow's south of here, in England. I can take you there."

A strange look crossed his father. A distant, glazed look. Peter waved his hand in front of his dad.

"Sorry, sorry," his dad muttered. "Give me a few minutes to clean up, and muster some of the boys. Then we'll go save your siblings from the evil witch."

As his father disappeared inside, Peter wondered if he was doing the right thing.

* * *

Hiccup coughed and sputtered as Toothless came up from the water. He glanced over his shoulder. The Night Mares were still there, only a few paces behind. He tried to laugh.

It made them drop back, but they didn't slow down. Pulling out his wand, Hiccup tried the Patronus spell. It gave off a bit of light, but not enough. And the Patronus wasn't Celestial Light anyway. It didn't destroy the Night Mares, it only kept them at bay.

A flash of white dashed in front of Hiccup. On an impulse, he followed it. If Toothless had been any slower, he never would have gotten close enough. But Toothless was fast, and Hiccup could see that the brightness was a unicorn. Were unicorns celestial?

Hiccup checked behind him. The Night Mares weren't as close as they had been. They were keeping their distance from the unicorn. Following the unicorn was only slightly better than following the river, because he didn't have to half drown himself to stay safe.

As they ran, the unicorn started to outpace him. Was it getting faster? Or was Toothless finally starting to tire? He was a fool to think he could run forever. Of course he couldn't. He was just a boy, and Toothless, fast as he was, was a mortal dragon. Of course he was tired. The dragon had already used up all his shots.

The Night Mares were not mortal. They would never tire. Maybe it was best to stop. Let the Night Mares claim them. What would it hurt anyway? He'd already been made into a Fearling, with the poison still coursing through his veins. He'd lost half a leg. And he'd done as much as he could to save the Archipelago. Maybe he'd achieved all he needed to. Would it be so bad to rest now? To let the Night Mares catch them? He'd never seen them attack a person before. Maybe it wasn't awful.

Just as he was about to move the foot petal, letting Toothless land, something cold nipped his nose. Hiccup looked up at the falling snow. Snow in summer? That could only mean one thing. Jack Frost.

* * *

Merida didn't know what to do. Go back in the castle to look for her missing brothers? Or take Harris and bring him back to Castle DunBroch? She didn't want to let him out of her sight, but she couldn't bring him into a burning building, even with the Flame Freeze spell. But how could she let her other brothers go? It was an impossible choice.

Merida put Harris on Angus.

"Do … do you think you can hold on?" she asked.

"Maybe," Harris said, taking the reins.

"Could you ride him?" Merida asked. "I think he knows the way home."

"I'll try," Harris said.

"Then go. I'm going to find our brothers. I'll meet you at home. Our real home."

She was about to slap Angus's rump, sending him away, when another window burst. The white horse jumped out, carrying Rapunzel, Eugene and her brothers.

Relief washed over her. They hadn't betrayed her. Her brothers were safe. Jack was right. Rapunzel was her friend.

They rode hard over the Scottish terrain, but Merida knew the way. The lords' sons, with Jack's sister Emma, met them on the outskirts of the DunBroch land.

"Where's the Viking?" Young Dingwall asked.

Merida looked over her shoulder. She knew Hiccup went first to draw the Night Mares away, but she'd assumed he would circle back and join them.

"We can't wait for him," Merida said, her lips tight. He didn't have her brothers. "It is time to go home."

The others nodded. They followed Merida to Castle DunBroch.

Archers shouted as she rode in. She ignored the shouts, heading to the gate. A few arrows whizzed past her ears. Then, a shout silenced the archers. The gate was lowered.

Merida rode in. Her parents stood at the other end of the courtyard.

She pulled Angus to a stop just inside the gate. Maximus with Flynn and Rapunzel came in just after, followed by the four Muggles. Merida dismounted, helping her brothers down. She kept an eye on her parents as she helped the boys, trying to hold Harris in a way that made him look less sickly. She knew he was better, but her parents would be judging from the last time they saw him, before the accident. He still looked bad compared to that healthy boy.

Mum's hand went to her heart when she saw the boys, but Dad put a hand on her shoulder, keeping her from running to them.

Likewise, Merida kept one hand on Hamish and Hubert, preventing the boys from running to Mother.

"Perhaps this should be done behind closed doors," Merida suggested. "We have a lot to discuss."

The King and Queen looked at each other. Then they nodded.

"Should we come?" Rapunzel asked.

Merida glanced at them. "Stay close. But I must face this alone."

Her friends hung back as Merida with her brothers followed her parents into the castle. Once the family was alone, Merida set down Harris, but the boys hung back. Hamish hid behind Merida's skirt.

"Are they going to take our magic?" he asked. Merida looked up at her parents.

She bravely took a step closer.

"Mum ... Dad ... I ... I'm sorry-"

Merida was cut off as her mother enveloped her in a tight hug.

"I've been so worried about all of you," Queen Elinor whispered in her ear. Merida broke down in her mother's arms, returning the hug.

She didn't know how long they stayed in the embrace. Minutes. Hours. It felt like forever. It felt wonderful.

* * *

On his way out of the castle, Jack noted the flames, and sent a thick snow to bury them. Against the white snow, he could easily see the Night Mares. Nightlight took over briefly and glowed. The horses weakened, so when Jack took over again he only had to send a quick blast to finish them off.

He landed next to a panting Hiccup and Toothless.

"You gonna be okay?" Jack asked, giving his friend time to catch his breath. He handed Hiccup a snowball. The boy rubbed it over his sweaty head.

"I ... I'm fine," Hiccup said, "but those things will reform and keep chasing me as long as I've got a Fearling in me."

"I know a bit what that's like. I'm sharing a body with Nightlight. Where are the girls?"

"On their way to DunBroch," Hiccup said. "We're supposed to catch up with them. What did the Guardians say?"

Jack glanced up at the moon, "They're going to do something. I have to go to Antarctica, then meet them at Tooth Palace. But first I wanted to know if you have any ideas for how to split me and Nightlight."

"Sorry, Jack," Hiccup said. "I have no clue. Couldn't the Guardians give you a hand?"

Nightlight took over, "No. The Guardians have bigger problems than figuring out how to separate my soul from Jack's body."

"I wish I had the answer," Hiccup said. "I don't think I've ever read anything about separating souls. Once this business with Scotland is settled, maybe I'll take it up."

Jack went quiet. He didn't tell Hiccup that he might not have that much time.

 _Separating might make it worse_ , Nightlight thought, sharing Jack's brain. _If we're still together when the Guardians cast the spell, belief in me might help you survive._

"But who believes in you?" Jack said.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Nothing. I have to go to Antarctica. Take care of Emma for me. I'll come back for her soon."

Jack took off, heading south.

 _You might not be able to come back._

"I _will_ ," Jack promised himself.

 _The spell to stop Pitch bound me once. It may happen again._

"Is this the same spell?"

 _No. That was a direct attack with Celestial Light. This … this is different. Bigger. Which may hold Pitch better. But it is also less controlled. Less predictable. It has never been done before. Only the Man in the Moon and Ombric have a clue as to what will happen._

"Aren't you older?" Jack asked.

 _In the number of years I've lived, yes. In the way I think, no. I was an immortal boy. A playmate and protector of the little ones. Deep magic was no concern of mine. Until I chose to grow up. But I only had a few years before death caught up with me. From then on, I have only learned what you have learned._

"So you have no clue what will happen when the spell takes effect?"

 _Only that it will be bad for us. Worse for you than me._

"I didn't let Pitch beat me. I'm not going to let the Guardians," Jack resolved.

Nightlight went silent. Jack could feel some of his feelings. He didn't think Jack had any say in the matter. But Jack would. His sister had lost her home, her family, and her brother once. He could _not_ make her lose him again.

* * *

Rapunzel and Eugene waited in front of the door to Merida's reunion. The lords' sons had gone up to watch for Jack and Toothless, and to stop the archers from firing on them. Emma went with Wee Dingwall to keep an eye out for her brother.

"They've been in there a long time," Rapunzel commented.

"I'm sure everything is fine," Eugene replied. "The queen's not about to hurt her only daughter."

"I hope you're right," Rapunzel said, once more reaching for hair that wasn't there. Feeling stupid, she lowered her hands. Eugene put his arm around her shoulder.

"Listen up, Rapunzel," he said. "I don't remember my mother, but I know something about yours."

"My real mother ... or Mother Gothel?" Rapunzel asked.

"Both. But I meant Mother Gothel. She was not like most mothers. Most mothers want the best for their children. Gothel didn't. She just wanted to keep you in that tower."

"I know that now," Rapunzel said, wishing her hands had something to do. "But all those years, that's what she told me. Mother Knows Best. Every day. She always said it was for my own good. How am I supposed to know when something really is good for me?"

"First off, trust your judgment," Eugene advised. "I know Gothel told you that your intuition was wrong, but she lied to you. You have great ideas. When I broke into your tower, you were able to handle yourself. You even improved my hairline. At the Snuggly Duckling, you turned a whole room of angry men who wanted to kill me into friends that helped me rescue you."

"They helped you rescue me?" Rapunzel asked. Eugene nodded.

"After we finish up here, we've got to go back and get them out of jail."

"You think we can?" Rapunzel asked. Eugene smiled.

"That leads me to what I know about your real mother. While I never met her, I have lived in Corona for more than half my life. One thing that everyone knows? How much the king and queen care for their lost child. For as long as I can remember, people talked about the lost princess.

"Until I got to Hogwarts, I didn't know you weren't really missing. All the Muggle girl orphans wished they were the lost princess. They dreamed that the king and queen would come and choose them. Take them off to the palace and they'd live happily ever after. Of course, no one ever did. But I believed, as everyone did, that if the lost princess ever were found, she would indeed get everything she wanted.

"Coming to Hogwarts and learning that the lost princess wasn't really lost changed nothing. And then I saw your memories. I know it was a long time ago, but they loved you, Rapunzel. They want you. And if you ask for it, I'm sure they'll release any prisoner you want, if they don't on their own, when they learn the story of how you were freed."

Rapunzel smiled, "You really think so?"

"I'm kind of counting on it," Eugene confessed. "Because if I'm wrong, I might die again."

"Die?" Rapunzel jumped up. Eugene grimaced.

"Er ... I kind of got sentenced to death by hanging."

Rapunzel's shoulders dropped. Mother Gothel had mentioned that. But then Eugene showed up alive ... Rapunzel never knew what was real and what was a lie anymore.

"Don't think about it," Eugene advised. "Corona is a great kingdom. I deserved my fate. And I paid it. I mean, technically speaking, I have served a death sentence. They never said I couldn't be revived. I'm sure things will be fine. Returning a lost princess is better than stealing the crown. And I can return the crown, too."

Eugene reached over to Rapunzel's chin. He tilted her face up.

"Maybe I should just return the crown, and keep the princess. She's prettier anyway."

Rapunzel blushed. Eugene continued.

"She's kind. Sweet. Smart. Brave." With each word, Rapunzel's blush deepened, and Eugene leaned in on her. She was sure he was about to kiss her, when the door flew open. Eugene let go of her and took two steps away as Merida came out, a large grin on her face.

"We've talked a bit. You should come in for the discussion."

Rapunzel bit her lip and walked in, disappointed to be interrupted. But there would be time for more romance in the future, she hoped.

* * *

 **A/N: Response to Eris: My story is meant to be canon compliant with Tangled, and thus, the Tangled TV show. However, my story ends before the events of the series, so Rapunzel will not get her hair back in my story.**


	7. The Dementor

Queen Elinor kissed Harris while Merida gathered her friends. Merida had explained how he got hurt. How it was an accident, and how magic had saved his life. Of course, had Merida not taken the boys in the first place, he wouldn't have needed saving. Still, it was a relief to have all her children back.

"Hubert, Hamish, you are both alright?" the Queen asked. The other two boys sat on their father's lap next to her.

"Yes, Mummy," Hamish said. "Merida took care of us."

"She's the best!" Hamish added.

Elinor didn't know how to feel about the boys' feelings towards Merida. Of course she wanted her children to get along and take care of each other. But she never imagined it happening in this way. And now she had a hard choice to make. Should she tell the boys that Merida was wrong to have taken them? Or should she let them keep seeing Merida as their hero?

The door opened and Merida's friends filed in. Elinor pushed down her feelings. She could sort it all out when their guests had left. Some of them she knew. The lords' sons, naturally. The Viking boy. But others were strangers. A teenage girl with short brown hair, and her companion. And, for some reason, a child.

"Are all these people necessary? Can't the Viking speak for himself?" King Fergus growled. Queen Elinor put her hand on his arm. He was still angry over what Merida did. So was she. But she was more relieved to find her children safe. She wasn't going to spoil it by contradicting what Merida wanted this early in the recovery.

"Perhaps introductions are in order. I know why the Viking is here," Queen Elinor interjected. "And the lords' sons represent their clans, if I'm not mistaken."

"And Muggles," Merida added. "And Emma stands for Muggles, too. She's from a town that carried through a plot to remove a wizard's magic. That would be Jack. Where is he?"

"Antarctica," the Viking boy supplied. "He's working for the Guardians now."

"Who are the Guardians?" King Fergus asked.

"Santa and the like. They're fighting Pitch Black. But we must help them," Merida said. "We need to stop the hate."

"How?" Queen Elinor asked, running her fingers through Hamish's hair. "We've made magic legal. That's all we can do."

"Actually, it isn't," Hiccup said. "Princess Rapunzel gave me the idea."

"Princess?" Fergus asked. "Of where?"

"Corona," Rapunzel stated.

"Corona doesnae have a princess," Queen Elinor said.

"I'm the lost princess," Rapunzel explained. "Eugene found me. But since Corona isn't at war, we came here before I go see my parents. I suppose I'm here to represent Corona, and continental Europe. But I don't know what idea I gave Hiccup."

The Viking smiled, "Since Snoggletog, two world-wide events have happened. One, Rapunzel disappeared from everyone's memory. Two, I hid the Barbaric Archipelago."

"You can't hide an Archipelago," Young Macintosh said.

"You can with magic," Hiccup replied. "Merida did it on a smaller scale, making wizarding towns, villages, and schools disappear from Muggle view. I took it a step further and put the entire Barbaric Archipelago into hiding. If you sail there, all you'll find is fog."

"So we can't make war, even if we were so inclined," Elinor said, partly relieved that Fergus could not go further. Now that her children were back, she'd be just as happy to leave the barbarians alone.

"I say we keep going with the hiding spells. We don't just hide wizard strongholds. We hide the _entire_ wizarding world. Not just here. The whole world over."

Queen Elinor shook her head, "It's a good idea, but I'm not sure how you could put it into effect. There will always be people who don't want to go into hiding and those that won't accept wizards and witches just disappearing."

"That brings me to the second thing that happened this year. Princess Rapunzel disappeared."

"She's always been missing," Fergus grumbled. "Corona's always had a lost princess."

"No. They haven't," Hiccup said. "In fact, she stayed here for a few days one year. She even took princess lessons from you, Queen Elinor."

"I think I'd remember that," Queen Elinor said.

"No. And Merida doesn't, either. Even I don't. Because last year, Rapunzel erased _everyone_ 's memory. Everyone except for Jack and Flynn. I mean Eugene."

"Thank you," Eugene said.

"It worked. No one remembers that the lost princess wasn't actually lost. So I propose we do the same with wizards. Jack will come back for his sister. He can take us to the Guardians. We can ask the Tooth Fairy to erase everyone's memory of wizards."

"That's brilliant," Merida said.

"There's only one problem," Rapunzel said. "When Tooth erased everyone's memory of me, she replaced it with the legend of the lost princess. It kept people from thinking of me. How can we do that for all wizards?"

Hiccup looked down. To Elinor's surprise, it was Fergus who supplied the answer.

"We'll tell 'em that wizards are fantasy. I never used to believe in magic anyway. As king ... I suppose we can condemn those who believe in wizards and witches. Convince everyone that it's silly superstition."

"You would do that for me?" Merida asked. "After everything I've done?"

Queen Elinor looked at Fergus. He nodded, granting her permission to decide Merida's fate on this issue.

"There will be consequences for your actions," Queen Elinor said, "but the fate of an entire population should not be it. We will help."

"Mum, Dad?" Merida said. "I know I've promised to turn myself in. And I meant it. But may I go with my friends to cast the spell? I will return and face my fate. No complaints, no rebellion. I promise."

Queen Elinor nodded, "You may go. But the boys stay."

"They've been away from home too long," Merida agreed.

The young people raced out of the room. Queen Elinor turned to her boys.

"Now, tell me everything," she commanded, "And I'll see to it that you get sweet keets."

* * *

After a long flight, Jack landed in Antarctica. Nightlight almost immediately took over, sending Jack into blackness. He wondered why Nightlight would not let him see and hear as the spell was cast. Maybe it took too much concentration for Nightlight to let him stay awake. Or maybe Nightlight knew more about what would happen then he let on. Maybe he was trying to protect Jack.

After several long minutes filled with Jack wondering what kind of spell it was, he was able to see and hear again.

"Did you have to block me like that?" Jack demanded.

"You would have passed out anyway," Nightlight said. "The spell affects _All_ Guard-"

Nightlight froze. Jack blinked a few times, before he saw it, too. A tall, dark shadow.

He gripped his staff.

"I'm not afraid of you," Jack cried, sending a blast of ice at the shadow. The shadow dodged.

"My little pet," the shadow said, laughing, "you've strayed from home."

"You sent the Ice Elves," Jack accused.

"Only after you escaped. Now, do your friends a favor, and come back to my lair. I'll leave them alone if you come back."

Jack took a step back. The shadow grew.

"Why isn't he trying to force me?" Jack asked quietly to Nightlight.

 _He can't. You are a Guardian. We've put Antarctica under the spell. It's a level playing field now. And in this bright snow and ice, you would win._

"It was cold and icy when he took us before."

 _You'd just died. And I had not controlled a mortal body for eighteen years. We have more strength now._

Taking Nightlight's reassurance to heart, Jack sent out his power, sending swirling winds and chunks of ice. The shadow disappeared in the twisting snow. Jack jumped into the air and flew north as quickly as he could.

Somewhere over Africa he noticed that he was thinking of Katherine. Of her smile and her laughter. Things Jack had never known. These were not his thoughts. They were Nightlight's, seeping in.

Jack tried to ignore them, but the boys were too intertwined. Jack could barely tell which memories were his and which were Nightlight's.

He was glad when he reached Castle DunBroch. Talking to people in the here and now would help keep the confusion from taking over. As he landed, he saw his friends in the courtyard, mounting their horses and dragon.

"What's going on?"

"Jack? That was fast," Hiccup said. "I thought it would take longer."

"Now that I'm a Guardian, I can fly even faster than I could before," Jack said. It was true. He wasn't sure why. Just a consequence of no longer needing pesky things like breathable air? Or was it an actual power boost from the moon? Maybe he was tapping into the same source that let them hide eggs and deliver gifts in one day.

"But … didn't you have to do something for the Guardians down there?"

Nightlight took over, "Antarctica is not populated with humans. The spell I cast was a simple one, a mere precaution in case humans ever move there. It will take longer for the others to cover their continents."

"Where are we going, now?" Emma demanded.

"I'm supposed to go to Tooth Palace," Jack said, "but I came to warn you all to keep your guard up. Pitch threatened me when I was in Antarctica. He's not out yet."

"We need to see the Tooth Fairy, too," Rapunzel said. "Hiccup's got a plan."

"Great. We can go together," Jack said. He looked down at his sister. He wondered again about the spell the Guardians had cast. Would it work? Would they stop Pitch? What would Emma think of him once the change took place?

He could tell what she was thinking now. She was afraid he was going to leave her behind again. Well, he couldn't do that. He was all she had left. And she was all he had.

He scooped her up and waved his staff, lifting into the air. He hesitated, then landed.

"Um. How do we all get to Tooth Palace?" Jack asked. "I can only fly one person at a time."

"Why don't we just apparate there?" Rapunzel asked. "That was how Tooth took me."

"Who here _can_ apparate?" Merida asked. Everyone looked down. Merida sighed, "I can side-along apparate one or two of you at a time, but I don't know where Tooth Palace is, so I'm not sure if it's a good option."

"Does anyone know where Tooth Palace is?" Hiccup asked.

"It's in India. I know how to get there. But it took me months. Even sailing would take weeks," Eugene said.

The young people debated, when suddenly a gust of air blew up on them.

Against the sky were four dragons and five riders. The Riders of Berk.

"Guys, you shouldn't be here," Hiccup shouted to them. "The Treaty is only just fulfilled. They might still think of you as a threat."

"We took care of that Viking ship in England," Fishlegs said. "But when your dad heard you were going to Scotland alone he sent us in case you ..."

"In case you needed us," Astrid finished. "We overheard. You need a flight to India?"

"What about the horses?" Rapunzel asked, stroking Maximus's snout.

"We can't take them across the ocean" Eugene said. "Trust me. I already went to India with this horse. It's too far."

Eugene helped Rapunzel dismount. Maximus snapped at him.

"Hey! I'll bring her back. I promise," Eugene said. "We'll meet you by the Snuggly Duckling. Then I'll take her to her parents. I swear."

The horse whinnied, but turned and stomped off. Merida dismounted, too, giving Angus a pat, "Stay home, boy. I'll be back shortly."

Merida climbed behind Astrid. Rapunzel mounted Barf and Belch.

"Who's this loser?" Snotlout asked as Eugene climbed up behind him.

"Ignore him," Hiccup instructed Eugene. "My cousin is an idiot sometimes."

"HEY!" Snotlout snapped.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and made proper introductions, mostly for the benefit of Eugene who had never met the Riders of Berk or their dragons.

Jack didn't put Emma on a dragon. He preferred to fly her himself, and he found that with his control of the wind, he could make them all go faster, as long as they didn't mind a bit of a chill.

Emma laughed as Jack danced with her in the sky.

They were making good time, and had almost crossed the ocean when he suddenly felt ice in his chest. That wasn't normal. A hopeless feeling came over him. He heard screams, and the world went black.

* * *

Hiccup heard the girl scream before he saw what was happening. Jack had let go of Emma, and both were falling out of the sky. Toothless dived, catching Jack in his paws while Hiccup reached out and caught Emma around the waist, pulling her close to his chest. Toothless, flew low, depositing Jack on a small island before landing. Hiccup dismounted and set Emma down as the others landed.

"He just fell," Emma babbled. "He's never fallen before. Not like that."

Hiccup turned Jack over as Rapunzel fingered her hair.

"I wish I could heal him," she mumbled. Eugene massaged her shoulders.

"Can he be healed?," Eugene questioned. "He said he was dead."

"When we busted him out of Pitch Black's lair, he was covered in cuts and bruises," Merida said, "but they healed really fast. Faster than they did when he was alive. Must be Guardian magic."

Hiccup leaned over and checked for a heartbeat. He couldn't hear anything. "Does anyone have anything made of glass?"

"I kept this," Eugene said, pulling out a shard of mirror. Hiccup took the mirror shard and held it under Jack's nose. It didn't fog up, as it would have under a human's nose, but it did develop a layer of frost. Hiccup handed it back to Eugene.

"I think he's still with us," Hiccup pronounced. "But we don't have time to wait for him to come to. Maybe the Guardians can fix him."

Eugene and Snotlout picked up Jack and helped Hiccup get him on Toothless, while Fishlegs held out his hand to Emma.

"It'll be okay," Fishlegs said. "Your brother is probably fine. The Guardians will help."

Hiccup gave the signal and they all took off again.

The journey was harder without Jack. The wind worked against them instead of with them. And a heavy mood hung over all of them as they looked at Jack's unconscious form.

Hiccup had never been to India before, so he had to let Eugene, and consequently Snotlout, direct them.

As Hiccup fell behind the others, he checked over Jack, but there were no other signs of life. Was it just him, or did the cold feel colder? His heart started to pound. All of a sudden, memories of all the bad things in his life started to flood through him. Getting poisoned by Pitch Black. Being kidnapped and tortured by Alvin. Falling through the flames and losing his leg. Watching his father sail off to certain doom ... even a strange memory of his father calling out for Valka as she disappeared.

No matter how many times he tried, he couldn't think of anything happy.

"EVERYONE LAND!" Rapunzel screamed.

Hiccup nodded as he hunched over Jack. The dragons went into a dive. Fortunately, they'd been across the continent for several hours.

"What's going on?" Merida asked. "I feel awful."

"You mean this isn't because of the Fearling in me?" Hiccup asked.

"No, I feel it, too," Eugene said. "I can't stop seeing Rapunzel in chains."

"And I see you dying on the floor of my tower," Rapunzel said.

"All I can think about is being trapped in the castle, while my Dad led the hunt on my Mum. All my fault."

Even the Riders of Berk looked shaken, though as Vikings they weren't as willing to share feelings.

"I've felt this before," Rapunzel said. "Though I didn't have the same horrible memory then. Jack was with me. It's a Dementor."

Hiccup looked into the sky. What he'd thought were dark clouds were moving in a distinct pattern. Hiccup had never seen a Dementor before, but Jack and Rapunzel had told of their experience. He pulled out his wand.

"You wanna lead us, Rapunzel?" Hiccup asked.

"Okay. You need to cast a Patronus to drive them off," she said. "Call upon a happy memory, and it will take the shape of an animal and drive them away, before they can suck out your soul. _Expecto_ -"

"WAIT!" Hiccup said. He went over what she'd said in his head. "Don't drive them off completely."

"Why not?" Astrid questioned. Hiccup looked at Jack.

"I think we need them," he said. He didn't elaborate more. He might be wrong. He was taking a huge risk. If this was a miscalculation, it could be the end. But if not ...

* * *

Peter and his father marched at the head of the mob.

"Which way?" his father asked when they came to a fork in road.

"Um," Peter looked down the trails. He hadn't quite made a note of which one he'd come up but left felt correct. He pointed. As the mob marched down the path, he wondered again if he was doing the right thing. He was mad at Mom for not sticking up for him ... but did he really want her to be caught and killed by these people?

 _Maybe they'll spare your mother and just take Mrs. White,_ he tried to reassure himself. Surely she deserved it. A bitter old woman who would pick on Muggles deserved to be captured by them.

This was the right thing to do, he tried to tell himself. But the nagging feeling didn't go away.

* * *

Jack felt weak. It had been months since he'd eaten anything. But for some reason, he felt worse this time.

 _Jack, wake up,_ Nightlight screamed in his head. _The Guardians' spell has taken effect. It hit us hard like they warned you it would. But you are not out of it. Your friends need you. Try to wake._ _WAKE!_

Jack forced himself to crack his eyes open. He wished he hadn't. As he woke up, a cold feeling settled in his chest. He was under a dome of light. Merida leaned over him. Her face broke into a grin as he pushed himself up.

"You _are_ alive," she said. "Sort of."

"Jack! You'll save us," Emma cried as she wrapped her arms around him. Jack returned the hug as he reviewed the rest of his surroundings. The Vikings were casting shield Patronuses, keeping them safe from swooping Dementors.

"You're up," Hiccup said. "Jack, you need to get out there."

"Um. What?" Jack asked, breaking away from Emma and pulling out his wand. "Shouldn't I just cast my Patronus? It's powerful enough to get rid of them."

"I think they might be your chance to split from Nightlight," Hiccup explained.

"How? The Dementors suck ... You're right. I've got to go out there," Jack said.

Hiccup and Astrid stepped aside to let Jack pass. As soon as he was outside the dome, the Dementors attacked.

All Jack could think about was drowning. Falling through the ice, the cold. The fear for his sister. The horrible feeling when he saw Burgess destroyed.

Jack didn't fight as the Dementors surrounded him.

His fears started to change. Rather than seeing his sister, he saw Katherine, but as a young girl. She was lying still as death in a glass coffin. No hope of waking.

The Dementor got closer.

Jack thought of the Man in the Moon, or rather the Man in the Moon's parents. He saw them turn into Constellations as Pitch seized their ship. Jack watched as the whole crew was murdered.

The Dementor pulled back its hood, revealing its horrible face. It put its empty mouth against Jack's and he felt the suction.

The memories and feelings were all horrible. Jack was inside Pitch Black, stuck holding onto a dagger. He was in a box, his glow growing dimmer.

Jack gripped his wand as he felt faint. He had to wait.

The sucking continued. Soon, he saw a blue light in front of him. His memories cleared. The Dementor was still sucking. But it was time. Jack waved his wand.

" _EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" he screamed. From his wand burst a dolphin. Jack closed his mouth before the glowing blue soul could reenter. His friends, seeing his Patronus, quickly cast theirs. A dragon, a bear, a horse, a bird, among others. All together the Patronuses charged the Dementors, driving them away.

Jack stared at the blue light. It slowly changed from an orb into a spectral boy.

The boy seemed to be made entirely out of light. He gave a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Jack, Hiccup. You've returned me to my normal form." Nightlight bowed his head, "I must help the Guardians."

Nightlight took off. Jack smiled and looked to his friends. They looked worse for the wear. He didn't know how long they'd waited for him to wake up. The Dragon Riders of Berk especially looked ready to collapse. They didn't have the experience fighting Fearlings and Dementors that Jack and his friends had.

"Eugene, where are we?" Jack asked.

"I can't be certain, seeing it from the air and all, but I'd say Ukraine."

"You've been to India before. How close are we?"

"A little less than halfway," Eugene said. "If I'm right."

"Let's take a break," Jack said. The others quickly agreed. Jack was grateful that they were tired. He didn't want to admit that _he_ needed the break. That he still felt a bit woozy. Was the feeling from the recent separation? From the Guardians' spell? He didn't know, but he hoped he recovered soon. He hoped Nightlight's prophecy was wrong.

* * *

"Penny for your thoughts," Astrid asked, handing Hiccup a mug of yaknog she'd conjured. Hiccup put it down without drinking.

"I'm thinking about the future."

"Being chief?"

"No. Divination."

"You're going to start soothsaying? Are you sure that's a good idea? You remember your grandfather, Old Wrinkly-"

"I know. I know. Prophecies are usually inaccurate. But we heard one a few years ago. I'm just thinking it over. Wondering if it's come true."

"Rapunzel told me about it," Eugene said. "But not the exact wording."

"Yeah, tell us," Fishlegs demanded.

" _ _A darkness descends upon the land. If it cannot be stopped the world will be forever changed. But there are four who have the power. Led by deathless light reborn. They can heal the bond that has broken and restore the peace,__ " Hiccup recited.

"The darkness was Pitch," Merida said, "and the witch hunts."

"'Four who have the power.' We always assumed it meant us," Jack said. "Us or the Guardians."

"'Deathless light reborn,'" Eugene said. "I died but didn't."

"So did Nightlight," Jack supplied. "And me."

"'They can heal the bond that has broken and restore peace,'" Rapunzel repeated.

"That's what we're doing," Merida said.

"What about 'If it cannot be stopped the world will be forever changed' bit?" Fishlegs asked.

"That's what's puzzling me," Hiccup admitted. "You see … we have a plan to restore peace, but in our plan the world _is_ changed. Is the prophecy saying there's another way to go?"

"Just because there's another way to go doesn't mean it's the right way," Eugene said. "Pitch told me to take Rapunzel back to her tower. That only by locking her up could I save her. I chose a different path. One that lets her be free and safe."

"Hiccup, do you think the change we plan to make will be good?" Merida asked.

"I hope so," Hiccup said.

"Then let's continue on this path," Merida said. "The prophecy doesn't say if the change is bad or good. Just that it's coming. Let's make it a good change."

They all agreed and started to get up. It was clear that most of them had been traveling too much. No one was looking forward to getting on a dragon again. As they mounted with much groaning, a soft glow appeared on the horizon. One, a golden light; the other, blue. It was Nightlight and Sandman!

Sandman landed among them. Signs flashed above his head. Nightlight nodded several times, then pointed to Hiccup.

"What?" Hiccup asked. Sandman floated to him and took Hiccup's hand. Hiccup felt his insides flipping and relaxing. Golden sand came out of his ears. Sandman gathered it into a ball and threw it in the air where it dissipated.

"Was that the Fearling?" Hiccup asked, coughing out the last of it.

Sandman shrugged. Nightlight explained.

"Yes and no. Sandman has never seen a dead Fearling before."

"Dead?" Hiccup asked. Nightlight pointed to Rapunzel.

"Her celestial hair killed it," he said.

Two sand clouds appeared. Nightlight pointed to one, "To Tooth Palace."

And to the other, "Back to Berk."

The meaning was clear. And from the tiredness, the riders didn't fight it. They and their dragons climbed the cloud that would take them home. Hiccup, Jack, Merida, Rapunzel, Jack's sister, Eugene, and Toothless climbed aboard the other one.

Everyone started to yawn as the gold sand came down on them, even the dragons. Hiccup slid down next to Toothless and closed his eyes, feeling peaceful at last.


	8. The Lost Memories

Pitch shuddered as Sandman released Hiccup. He'd lost the connection with the Viking boy when the princess sang. Her hair killed his Fearling but it didn't clear it from his system.

While Pitch couldn't use the dead Fearling to manipulate Hiccup, he still benefited from it magnifying any fears that Hiccup felt naturally. He tried to keep his distance whenever the boy felt fearful. He didn't want the Guardians to find the Fearling.

But, of course, he knew it couldn't last. Hiccup had too many friends and much to much bravery. Someone would have noticed it even if the boy hadn't spoken of his fears.

Now that it was out, Pitch would need a new way to terrorize the children.

He stayed in the shadows as he followed the golden sand cloud to Tooth Palace. He couldn't get in. He knew that. Even if the Guardians were weakened enough that he could break their protective spells, the Man in the Moon would be watching. He would alert them. Pitch might get lucky going against the weary Guardians, but he'd never be able to hold them and the wizard children long enough to take anyone out permanently.

The shadowman whistled, "Oh, Onyx. I have a job for you."

He wasn't near the sand horse, but he could control her even from a distance. The miniature Night Mare perked up from her hiding place under a gilded spire. She would serve him well. He would have to thank Flynn Rider for unwittingly smuggling her into Tooth Palace on the back of the medallion in the first place.

Maybe that would finally bring darkness to Corona.

Pitch laughed as he thought of the people who would soon be his. He glanced up at the moon.

"Don't think you've won, old friend," he whispered. "I still have power."

* * *

When Hiccup woke up feeling very rested, he noticed the warmth. It was summer, of course, but this was a hot, spicy kind of warmth. The kind that never made it all the way to the Archipelago, and rarely to Hogwarts.

Hiccup rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and stretched as the Sandman's ship sailed into a valley filled with gilded columns. Hiccup didn't have a lot of time to take in the wonder of the valley as tiny tooth fairies all turned and zoomed at Eugene. The young man screamed and ran the length of the ship.

"STOP!" Rapunzel called, chasing after the fairies pecking Eugene. They didn't heed Rapunzel, but they did stop when Professor Toothiana intervened.

The bird-like professor put herself between Eugene and her fairies.

"Now, now, he was invited this time," Tooth scolded. "Be nice. Welcome back, Eugene Fitzherbert. I take it you have memories for me?"

"Jack stole 'em from me," Eugene said, pointing to Jack.

"For safekeeping," Jack said, handing over the two tubes.

"Um, Professor Tooth," Hiccup started, "I have a plan to save the wizarding world."

Hiccup laid out his plan for her, emphasizing how well the spell worked for Rapunzel. Tooth grimaced as she listened. Once he was finished, she turned and conferred with Nightlight and Sandman. Despite communicating in visual signs, Hiccup wasn't fast enough to pick up what Sandman was saying.

Eventually, Tooth turned back to the young wizards.

"What you ask is huge. But it might work. Hiding one girl is a lot easier than hiding an entire population will be. I will have my fairies separate Muggle from witch teeth. Why don't you kids find your own teeth and put them in a special place. I assume you want to remember the truth? You've earned that right."

Tooth went to speak with the other Guardians, while Eugene and Rapunzel, who'd both been to Tooth Palace before, explained how the teeth were organized. Having a dragon made it easier for Hiccup to find the spire representing the Barbaric Archipelago. As he pocketed his memory case, he ran his hands over the other memories. Especially Astrid's. What did she think? Last year, they broke up because she needed some space to sort out her feelings. Had she figured it out yet? Should he approach her again?

Hiccup was sorely tempted to take a peek, but he couldn't justify spying on her. Memories were supposed to be private. Reluctantly he turned away. He would have to do things the old fashioned way. At least there was no Fearling to hold him back now.

* * *

Jack handed Emma her memory case. It was so pretty and golden. She gently stroked the gilded box as Jack picked her up and flew her down to a small lake at the base of the valley. There was a mural on the wall of the Tooth Fairy and smiling children.

Soon, the others joined them. Emma hid behind her brother as the Guardians arrived. The Tooth Fairy was rather pretty, but Santa and the Bunny were much bigger than she'd expected. And there were a couple she wasn't quite sure about: the tall man with a clock on his chest and the girl on the goose. Emma wasn't sure who they were, and no introduction was offered.

"Nightlight!" the young woman on the goose said. She dismounted and ran to the glowing boy.

Nightlight smiled and took her forearms. He didn't speak, but Emma felt like she was seeing a secret. She turned her face away.

"You alright, Jack?" a large man, Santa, asked, patting Jack on the back. "Did it hit hard?"

"Uh ...," Jack said. "Not too bad."

"You fainted," Emma said quietly. Jack glared at her.

"I'll get you for that," he whispered. Emma crossed her arms and stuck her chin out. She wasn't afraid of Jack's pranks.

"I'm sure the tyke is fine," the bunny said. "Just a bit of a blood sugar drop. Have an egg, mate."

The large bunny handed Jack a painted egg. Jack passed it on to Emma. She looked over the pretty egg as everyone put their memory cases down.

"Listen up!" Tooth called. All conversations stopped and they gathered around Toothiana.

"I'm going to be casting three spells. One will affect the Muggles. They will not remember wizardkind. To their minds, wizards will only be imaginary. The product of uneducated minds attempting to explain phenomena they don't understand. The second spell will affect the wizards. Rather than taking memories, I will be implanting memories. A memory of a wizard council instructing them to hide from Muggles."

"Some kids can't control their magic," Jack pointed out. "I met one. No matter what magic we do to his memory, he'll still cast spells on accident. We have to help kids like him."

"We are the Guardians," Ombric said. "It will be up to the living humans to enforce the order."

"From my experience," Merida said, cracking her knuckles, "there are a good many wizards who won't heed this order anyway, new memory or not."

"Half of you are royalty," Eugene said. "I'm sure you can work something out. Make a real wizard council or something."

"You said there were three spells?" Hiccup questioned. Tooth glanced at Jack.

"Yes," Katherine said, leaning against Nightlight. "A few hours ago, we cast a spell to make it easier for us to defeat Pitch Black. It worked, but not well enough."

"What spell was that?" Hiccup asked.

"Emma," Nightlight asked, "could you see the Dementors?"

"No. I only felt awful," she said, shuddering at the memory.

Nightlight's lips were tight, he nodded to the others.

"As we expected," Ombric said. "The spell affected all those from the cosmos. Dementors, which are part Fearling and part ghost can only be perceived by people with at least a drop of celestial blood now. Only wizards. Pitch, who lacks the ghost part, should be imperceivable to all."

"So we couldn't see Pitch?" Hiccup said. "That seems more dangerous."

"It works both ways," Bunny explained. "You can't see or touch him, he can't touch you. Unless you let him."

"Who would let him?" Jack asked.

"People who give into their fears. People who let fear get to them. And with the world in its current state …, " Tooth said. Katherine picked up where she left off.

"People are afraid. People believe in him. And so long as they do, he has power over them. He should be imperceivable. But he isn't."

"Then what can we do? Go door to door and tell people to toughen up and not be afraid?" Merida asked.

"Manny had idea," North interjected. "He likes Hiccup's plan. He suggest we apply to us. Make the humans forget the Boogeyman. Make them forget this horrid time. At least the supernatural part of it. Then, swoop in and woosh, no more Nightmare King."

"Great idea!" Jack agreed.

"There's only one problem," Nightlight said. "You and I are no longer bonded. You have only been celestial during Pitch's reign of terror. And for much of that time, you were with him."

"So ... what?" Jack asked.

"So if we cast the spell, Mate," Bunny said, "there's a decent chance you're going down with him. Everyone will forget you. It'll be like you never existed."

"Jack is human, isn't he?" Rapunzel said. "The spell shouldn't affect him."

"Jack _was_ human." Katherine said, "and that part of him died this winter. Since then, he has been living off moonlight."

Jack looked at the Guardians, at his friends, and finally, at his sister. He nodded.

"Do it. I'll take the risk."

"We'll remember, won't we?" Hiccup asked. "As long as we keep our memories out of the spell."

"Oh, yes," Tooth said, "but going from being real for everyone, to being real for only about 10 people is quite the drop, especially in conjunction with our last spell. You might not be able to handle the shock."

"Could kill you, mate," Bunny said. "Forever this time."

"Pitch needs to be stopped," Jack said softly. "Do it."

* * *

Miles away from where the Guardians were casting their first spell, an angry mob marched, led by a Muggle teenage boy.

They'd almost reached Godric's Hollow when Peter, the boy, and his dad stopped. The rest of the mob did the same.

"What are we doing here?" Peter asked. He had the feeling that they'd been about to do something important. Something to do with his mother. But he couldn't for the life of him remember what.

From the blank, confused faces around him, it looked like the others were having the same problem.

"Um, Charlie, what are we doing here?" someone asked the village leader.

"I can't remember, Joseph," Charlie said in return.

"There must be a reason," someone else said. The men stood, milling around for several minutes before someone suggested that they go home. Since no one could remember any other reason to stay, they all shuffled back to where they came from. Godric's Hollow was safe.

* * *

Emma had argued with her brother, but he wouldn't budge. He'd promised that if she still believed in him, he'd be okay, no matter who else didn't. She didn't like it. She'd already lost everyone that mattered. She couldn't lose him, too. But Jack insisted.

Their first spell had been erasing the Muggle memory of wizards. Emma with her memory case in a small pile in the middle of their circle, was not affected.

The second spell was cast, implanting memories in the wizards. Again, the people in the hidden valley were not affected.

Then it came time for the big one. All the wizards concentrated as they cast the spell, taking some of the burden from the Tooth Fairy.

Emma didn't need to. She wasn't a witch. She couldn't participate in the casting of the spell.

Because of that, she was the only one who saw the black shape.

"Jack, what's that?" Emma said, pointing. No one stopped. No one listened to her. They couldn't hear her above their chant. She looked back at the the dark shape. It was a small horse. It dragged a black tooth case into the pile, then started to knock the others out of the protection circle. They'd all forget Jack ...

No one else noticed. It was all up to Emma. She charged at the black horse.

"Get away from those!" she scolded the horse, kicking the memory tube it had brought in back out. The horse didn't stop. It charged at the other teeth, sending them rolling. Emma lunged. She managed to grab three, holding them close to her chest as the Night Mare attacked, biting her and kicking her with his tiny hooves.

She looked up at Jack, expecting him to come to her rescue. As the wizards came out of the spell, Jack looked at her ... and fell to the ground.

"JACK!" Emma screamed.

* * *

Rapunzel uttered the last word of the spell, only to see a miniature sand horse attacking a little girl.

"Jack!" the girl screamed, over and over. One of the Guardians shot something at the horse that made it disappear.

Rapunzel looked down at the girl. She knew the child. This was Jack's sister. But why had they taken her? Jack had died, that's what someone, Mother, maybe, had told her. Something … something had attacked Jack's home … And they'd taken the girl with them to keep her safe. That must be it.

Rapunzel took a step towards the crying girl, meaning to comfort her. Instead the girl screamed.

"GET OUT OF HIM!" she shouted.

Rapunzel took a step back.

"Rapunzel, can't you see?" Eugene said, grasping her elbow and pulling her back a few more steps. Rapunzel blinked and looked around. She saw her friends, Merida, Hiccup, and Eugene, as well as the Guardians, Tooth Fairy, Ombric, North, Katherine, Sandman, the Easter Bunny, and a glowing boy.

"The spell worked," Ombric said. "She can't see him."

"But … see who?" Merida asked, looking around with the same blank stare that Rapunzel was giving.

"Why can't they see him?" Eugene demanded. "We were all supposed to remember!"

Emma wailed, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I grabbed as many as I could."

She held out memory cases.

Ombric gently took them from her. He turned to his Guardians.

"Our enemy has played a trick upon us. And were it not for the actions of this girl, it would have affected _all_ of us. Thanks to her, I still remember."

"But … what happened?" Tooth said. "I remember casting two spells. One to make Muggles forget, and one to make wizards remember."

"There was a third spell. A forgetting spell, which has unfortunately affected all but myself, this girl and this boy." Ombric pointed to Eugene and Emma.

"Maybe I can undo it?" Tooth offered.

"DO NOT!" a voice echoed. The lake they were standing near started to glow, reflecting the moon. From its surface, the little round Man in the Moon appeared. As Rapunzel stared at him, she could see he was not truly there … it was just a shadow. A shadow of light.

All the Guardians were staring at him as the little man spoke.

"The spell worked, so none of you can remember how close you came to being wiped out. Attempting to reverse it now will not undo what has been done to Jackson, it will only aide our enemy in his recovery."

"Jack?" Hiccup asked, blinking several times. "He … he died."

"Yes he did," the Man in the Moon confirmed, "but I infused him with Moonlight as he did so. Now, only mortals who believe in him can see him."

Something about that sounded familiar. Rapunzel noticed Emma and Eugene were both looking grimly at a spot on the ground. Rapunzel focused. Jack Frost was her friend. She could remember that clearly. She remembered all the time they spent together. Playing, laughing, in the snow and summer. He took her flying. He'd died. _No_. She thought, _If Eugene could come back, so could Jack._

Rapunzel opened her eyes and looked at the spot. She gasped. She could see him.

* * *

Pitch Black gave a violent start as he circled Tooth Palace. His Night Mare had been destroyed. During the past few years, Night Mares had often been destroyed in battles. Pitch knew when they were gone, but he never felt anything for them.

So why was he feeling so hollow now?

He staggered away from Tooth Palace. Perhaps the Guardians had sent out an attack. That must be it. When they found the Night Mare, they sent something to drive him away.

What had he been doing there, anyway? He was the king of the world. He didn't need to bother with them. They would fade so long as he maintained his rule.

Pitch moved down to a small town. This town used to radiate with fear. He lived off of it.

The people of the Burgess were out of their houses, mopping up excess water. Pitch appeared in an alley, ready to scare the next person who walked by. He needed a boost after whatever the Guardians had done.

Soon enough, a little one raced by chasing a ball. Pitch had a bit of influence. He helped steer the ball into the alley, where the child would be able to see him. The boy, ignorant of the trap, didn't even slow as he ran after the ball. He snatched it up and kicked it out. Pitch glowered as he made his shadows darker, scarier, but the child took no notice, running back to his game.

Pitch walked out of the alley.

"Why don't you fear me?!" he shouted. The child didn't even turn back. No one did. No one gave any sign of having seen him at all. His scowl deepening, Pitch yelled to the whole town, "I am the boogeyman!"

Again, no one looked at him. They gave no notice. He lashed out at the nearest girl … and watched her pass right through his fingers.

No. No. How could this be? He couldn't be seen. He couldn't be touched. He couldn't be heard. But how? The moon shone down on him. Taunting him. Teasing him.

"You. This is your fault. I know it is. I'll make you pay. I'll be back. If it takes a hundred years, you haven't gotten rid of me. And next time, I'll go after the Guardians _first."_

After threatening the Man in the Moon, Pitch shadow traveled to Arendelle. The girl here wasn't afraid of him, but her fear would help him recover. Yes. Princess Elsa. Feed me.

* * *

"I believe in you, Jack," Hiccup said. It was hard. He had a practical mind. He'd seen people and dragons dying in battle. People didn't come back from the dead. But the Guardians said Jack had. They said Jack could come back. And it was hard to believe that someone so full of life like Jack could be gone. But he eventually convinced himself, and then he saw Jack lying there, like a corpse. It seemed somehow familiar, though he couldn't remember seeing Jack dead before.

"He … he's not dead, you said?" Hiccup asked. He'd never seen Jack so still and lifeless. At least as far as he could remember.

"As long as _one_ person believes, he will never completely fade," the Man in the Moon confirmed.

"Why won't he get up?" Emma asked, kneeling by her brother.

"His body was not used to being immortal when the spell hit. He will wake up in time. A century or two."

"But- but everyone Jack knew will be dead by then," Emma protested.

"The Guardians will still be around," Ombric offered.

""Not if your plan fails," Eugene said. "If Pit-"

"DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME!" Manny said. "It may hasten his return."

Hiccup didn't know the name they meant. He had a vague memory of spending the last couple of years fighting someone, of someone influencing their lives, but he couldn't remember the details. That must be the effect of the memory charm.

"Okay, so what if … He Who Must Not Be Named," Eugene continued, "isn't as gone as you'd like. If someone else hastens his return. If he comes back before Jack does and this time he does wipe you out. Jack will be all alone. And he won't know what's going on. Or where anyone went."

"Hm," Ombric said, putting his finger to his lips. "The boy does have a point. The memory spell will only affect the people alive today. He Who Must Not Be Named has been immortal far longer than Jack. His recovery may be quicker. Perhaps we should assign a Guardian to Jack."

Ombric looked over his Guardians. Before any of them could say anything, Emma raised her hand.

"I want to do it."

The Guardians silently looked at her.

"Please," Emma said. "Jack is my brother. He's the only family I have, and I am his. Let me watch over him."

"You won't live long enough," Katherine said gently. "He could be like this for a thousand years."

"You made Jack immortal," Hiccup pointed out. "Can't you make Emma immortal, too?"

"I cannot grant immortality to just anyone who asks," the Man in the Moon said. "Too many would be like Gothel. I have a very specific process for choosing immortals, and unfortunately, while Emma is a good girl, she has not met the requirements."

"I don't need to be immortal forever," Emma said. "Just until Jack wakes. Isn't there a way?"

Sandman made several signs. The Man in the Moon nodded. Finally Ombric pulled off a bracelet and handed it to Emma.

"A gift from Father Time. It is not true immortality. It will only freeze your age. You still need to eat and can be killed. Take it off if you ever change your mind and want to grow up. It will cease to work when Jack wakes up, anyway."

"But where can they live, Ombric?" Tooth scolded. "I could have kept Jack here, but not the Muggle girl."

"Same with Pole," North said. "Children in pole is bad idea. Too much underboot."

"I'm not having an ice elf in the warren," Bunny sniffed.

Hiccup frowned as the Guardians all rejected Jack and his sister. It wasn't fair. He'd listened to Jack's complaints about his home rejecting him, the Slytherins rejecting him, and now, even in the afterlife, the Guardians were rejecting him.

Even if Emma could convince one of the Guardians to take her, Hiccup didn't like the idea of leaving her with people who obviously thought she was 'lesser' since she was a mortal Muggle. And he didn't really like the idea that Jack would wake up around them either.

"What about a neutral place," Hiccup interjected. Everyone stopped their arguing to look at him. Hiccup took the lead, "I am a Viking. Some … some of my countrymen have mentioned sailing west, to an imaginary land that does not exist. A place called America."

The Guardians looked to one another and shrugged.

"Not a bad idea," Katherine said. "America is real. But it hasn't been discovered yet. The people that are there won't know anything about what's been going on in Europe."

"Our enemy _has_ largely ignored the Americas," Ombric added. "Too many dream catchers over there."

"And it reminds him of our time together," Nightlight said. "We fell to earth there. Pitch won't be in a hurry to go back."

"Then let me sail them there," Hiccup volunteered. "Even if Jack isn't quite dead, he deserves a proper funeral. Only instead of sending him to Valhalla with the flames, I'll take him with the winds to America."

The Guardians all agreed. Emma hugged Hiccup.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Merida knelt down beside Jack's body and looked into his still face. She thought of everything they'd done together. From their very first fight on the Hogwarts Express, to when she kissed him in his village … and their last fight, when she yelled at him for hurting Harris, just before he died.

The Guardians said Jack came back. They said her memory had just been erased. But it was little comfort when her last true memory was yelling at him.

She gently stroked his face. It was ice cold.

"You're sure there's nothing we could do to help him recover?" she asked. "You said speaking of the enemy would make him recover faster … if we all shouted Jack's name?"

"It would not help," Ombric said. "This is _more_ than a memory charm. People didn't just forget Jack. He ceased to be real. To all but these two and myself."

Ombric gestured to Emma and Eugene.

"While they were able to make you and your friends believe in him again, each of you count only as one. You must make more people believe in him."

"How?" Merida asked.

"Tell them," Katherine said. "Tell his story to everyone you meet. Write stories about him."

"It may not work within one lifetime," Ombric added, "but if you lay down his legend, he might recover sooner."

"And remember," the Man in the Moon said, "you must not tell them of the mortal boy who drowned, but of the immortal one who walks among them. They must believe in him as an immortal."

Merida brushed her hair back and gave Jack a goodbye kiss. She wasn't sure how she felt about a relationship with any man, but she was sad to know that there could never be one with Jack.

* * *

 **A/N: There is one chapter after this, then two oneshots (Frozen and ROTG). I was originally planning to release the ROTG one first, but since the book: "Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning" and the movie "Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald" were only released this week, I want a little more time to digest the new information.**


	9. Beyond Dreams

The Guardians opened up a portal back to Hogwarts. The fires had since burned out, though the castle remained deserted. As Eugene came through the portal carrying Jack, the portal closed. The six of them were alone at Hogwarts.

Eugene laid Jack out on the grass. Rapunzel closed her eyes. She couldn't bear to look at him like this.

"Are you coming with us to America?" Emma asked, turning to everyone.

"I promised Mum I would return soon," Merida said. "I've been away from home too long."

"I wish I could," Rapunzel said, "but we left some pub thugs in jail. We should get them out."

"And Maximus will kill me if I don't bring her back," Eugene said.

"We can't drag his body around," Hiccup said sadly. "No one else can see him."

Merida pulled out her wand and conjured a coffin. Rapunzel cringed as Jack was levitated into it. He really looked like he was dead.

The tears started to come. Rapunzel was the first, but the others soon followed. They all knew. This was the end. Jack might come back. But never again in their time. He was gone for good from their lives.

"You know … Jack isn't going to get a proper burial and funeral," Eugene said. "Maybe we should say a few words now?"

Hiccup went first, "Jack … Jack was my best friend. Before I had Toothless, I had no one. No guy friends, that is." He gave a slight nod to Rapunzel and Merida. Hiccup continued.

"Until Jack. He didn't care that I thought I was a squib. He stood by my side, through everything."

Merida stepped up as he finished.

"Though our houses were enemies, we were friends," Merida said. "I know I hated him at first. We were always trying to one-up each other. I don't know where the final score ended. I hope he won."

When it was her turn, Rapunzel said, "Jack is one of the few people to ever grace my tower. He was the first person to take me out, and I always felt safe with him. Though Eugene helped me escape for good, I will never forget all that Jack did for me."

Eugene added, "Jack … what can I say? Even though you weren't in my life as much as the others, there is no mistaking your impact. Without you … I probably would have graduated Hogwarts. I wouldn't have become a thief. I wouldn't have met the Stabbington brothers. I wouldn't have committed grand larceny. And I wouldn't have found the love of my life. Thank you, Jack Frost."

Rapunzel leaned on his shoulder as Emma said her piece.

"Jack … I can't remember a time when I didn't have you. You always made life fun. You always took care of me. And when I was in trouble, you always came to my rescue. Now it's time I returned the favor."

Hiccup put a lid on the coffin and the group broke up. Hiccup would be taking charge of things with Emma while the Princesses went home.

Maximus found them soon after they left Hogwarts. Eugene helped Rapunzel to mount him and they rode back to Corona.

She kept glancing over her shoulder.

"Is something wrong?" Eugene asked.

"Not really," Rapunzel said. "I just can't stop thinking … this is the last time I'm going to see Hogwarts. It's been my second home. It's hard to say goodbye."

"We might come back," Eugene said. "I never thought I'd come back after I got expelled. Yet here I am. And who knows? You might be coming back in … let's say 19 years."

"19 years?" Rapunzel asked, grinning. "Why 19 years?"

"I don't know. Maybe that's when we'll have a kid who's school age?"

"If I ever have a kid, I will not follow her to Hogwarts. I don't want to do what Mother did."

"You won't," Eugene promised. "Now, let's go meet your real mother."

Eugene snapped the reins and Maximus broke into a run. Rapunzel gave one last look at Hogwarts as it faded into the distance. _Goodbye,_ she thought sadly.

* * *

After ensuring that Hiccup would assist Emma, Merida bid her friends farewell and apparated back to Castle DunBroch. Her family was waiting when Merida entered the main chamber.

She fell to her knees in front of the throne.

Queen Elinor stood, smiled and came down the steps to embrace her.

"I'm so glad you're back," Elinor proclaimed.

"You're safe," Fergus said, ruffling her hair. "The Viking invaders have left. And all those idiots who believed in magic are crawling back to their holes."

"You don't believe in magic?" Merida asked, hesitantly. With everything that happened to Jack, she'd forgotten that their first spell had affected Muggles.

"Of course not, dear," Elinor said. "Magic isn't real. But there is still much to discuss. It was wrong of you to take the boys to the Viking lands."

"I went to the Viking lands? I mean, of course. Of course that's where I was," Merida said, trying to figure out what they remembered. It hadn't occurred to her what the memory spell would do to her family.

"Savages though they are, the boys said they were treated well … so I suppose it was not the worst thing you could have done," Fergus said.

"But there still must be consequences," Elinor asserted. "You are on probation."

"Probation?" Merida questioned.

"Make it a year with no trouble, no rebellion, serving the kingdom, and you will be considered a princess again."

Merida broke into a wide grin as she hugged her parents. She could do that. With magic now hidden, she wouldn't have to fight anti-magic laws. Her days of rebellion were over.

* * *

Rapunzel dismounted Maximus as they entered Corona. A few short days ago … had it only been a few days? So much had happened. A few days ago the people had stared at the girl with 70 feet of hair. Now they paid no mind to the two humans and their animal companions.

"Do you think they'll like me?" Rapunzel asked.

"They'll love you," Eugene promised. He walked between Rapunzel and Maximus. "It's me they'll hate."

Slowly, the group ascended the steps to the palace. They knocked on the huge gate.

The Captain of the Guard opened it. He spotted Eugene and his eyes narrowed.

"You," he hissed. The doors were flung open and many men poured out. Eugene took a few steps back, but they were easily surrounded.

"You won't escape this time, Rider!" the Captain sneered.

"LET HIM GO!" Rapunzel shouted.

All eyes turned to her.

"Who do you think you are?"

"I am the lost princess!" Rapunzel declared. Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to stare at her. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that they weren't staring at her hair this time.

"I am the lost princess," Rapunzel repeated. "Princess Rapunzel."

After a long hesitation, the Captain scoffed, "That's impossible. You're just trying to get him out of trouble."

"You think I would show up here if I didn't have the lost princess?" Eugene said.

"Can it, Rider. You're going to pay for this trick. Either you and this woman are in cahoots or you've deluded her into thinking she's something she isn't."

"Wait, Dad," a young woman with short black hair in a white dress raced out of the palace. "She does look like the queen."

"I am the lost princess," Rapunzel said, looking from the young woman to the Captain.

"Cassandra," the Captain said. "I know you have some sympathies to-"

The young woman, Cassandra, turned on her father, "I have no sympathies for Flynn Rider."

"Hello, Cassandra," Eugene said, giving a weak smile. Cassandra slapped him across the face. Rapunzel gasped.

"I probably deserved that," Eugene said to Rapunzel.

"You're darn right you did!" Cassandra fumed. "You tried to kill us, you cowardly-"

"Not the nose!" Eugene screamed as she drew her fist back.

"Leave him alone!" Rapunzel shouted, drawing attention back to herself. Maximus used the distraction to place himself between Cassandra and Eugene. Rapunzel tried to keep the attention on her.

She took a deep breath, "I am the lost princess. I've been locked in a tower my whole life. Until Eug- Flynn. Until Flynn found me and rescued me."

"That's why I escaped from jail," Eugene said. "I tried to tell you when you arrested me. Now that she's free and home, I'll go back to jail or the gallows."

"The gallows?" Rapunzel asked. Eugene hadn't told her the details of his arrest.

"Long story. I'll tell you later," Eugene said, "...unless I die."

"I want to see my father," Rapunzel demanded. The Captain of the Guard scowled.

"I don't know what this outlaw told you but-"

"Dad," Cassandra said again, placing her hand on his arm. "This girl … well … she does resemble the king and queen. Maybe we should let them decide."

"Do you have any proof you are the princess?" the Captain asked, approaching Rapunzel.

Rapunzel rubbed her arm. What could she do to prove it? Any communication she'd gotten from her family would have been destroyed by Mother Gothel. Thanks to the memory spell, no one would remember meeting her, and Muggles like the Captain of the Guard wouldn't remember that magic even existed.

"No. I have no proof," Rapunzel said, "other than my memory. Mother Gothel tried to keep me hidden from the world. She took me when I was a baby. But she's just died. And I found out that I am the lost princess."

It was close to the truth. Unlike with Merida and Hiccup, Rapunzel had never had a close relationship with these people. Telling them about the memory charms would do more harm than good.

"What is your blood status?" Cassandra asked. The Muggle guards looked at her in confusion, but Rapunzel knew what she meant.

"Pureblood," Rapunzel answered.

"A faker wouldn't have known that," Cassandra told her Dad. "At least not most fakers. Give her a chance."

The Captain had a tight lip, but he stepped back, "Stan, go get the King. Right this way, miss."

The guard ran out. Rapunzel didn't move. "Let Flynn go with me."

"Let a notorious thief loose in the palace?" the Captain growled.

"I won't steal anything, I promise!" Eugene swore. "And if I do, I'm sure you'll catch me. After all, you were so good at it last time."

The Captain's face turned beet red, but Cassandra put her arm on his.

"Let the King decide," Cassandra insisted. "You can arrest him afterwards."

Eugene smirked as he took Rapunzel's arm. They climbed the stairs to a balcony. The guards wouldn't let Eugene wait within 50 feet of valuables.

The King and Queen were soon on the scene. Rapunzel looked into the eyes of her mother for the first time. As Eugene promised, they were filled with warmth and love, as were her father's. They didn't question her claim at all. As they embraced, Rapunzel felt well and truly loved.

Eugene told them the story of how he died. Like Rapunzel, he maintained the facade that he was unaware of the princess until he stumbled upon her. When he told of how the Pub Thugs were kind to Rapunzel, and how they helped him escape for her sake, the King sent an envoy to ensure they were all released unharmed.

"And, Dad," Rapunzel said, "I know I haven't been an official princess very long, but I would like one thing."

"Anything, my darling," the King replied.

"I know that stealing is wrong. But if Eugene hadn't taken that crown, I would never have been found. So I beg you to reconsider the death penalty. Because if they had succeeded in carrying out his punishment … I wouldn't be here."

"Hey, technically I did carry it out," Eugene said. "I mean, I did die. I just came back."

"Yes, of course," the King said. "Eugene, I officially pardon you of all crimes and wrongdoing, and I will listen to Rapunzel's request. From now on, the highest punishment a Coronian can expect will be jail."

"Thank you, Father," Rapunzel said. The next few hours turned to planning a party for the princess's return. Even the Pub Thugs were invited.

Rapunzel surveyed her kingdom, her friends and her family. She had lost some along the way, it was true. But nothing could compare with what she had gained.

* * *

Merida sat quietly in her room pulling the thread through the sampler. Mum hadn't exactly given her lessons, but she knew her family would be pleased if she worked on something feminine and non-aggressive. A knock came at the door.

"You can come in," Merida called. Her parents had not locked her in, though she knew she was expected to stay confined. It was a test. If she disobeyed the simplest of orders they would never trust her.

To her surprise, it was Harris who came in. The boy still looked wan from his illness, but it was nice to see him moving about. And it made him easier to identify when around his brothers.

"Mum wants you," he said. Merida folded up her sampler and put it away. She followed Harris to her parents' room.

"Merida," Queen Elinor said, indicating a bench. The princess obeyed.

"Am I in trouble?" Merida asked.

"Maybe. Harris has been telling me about magic."

"You were suppose to keep quiet about that," Merida said sharply to her brother. He backed into the wall, a blush on his face.

"It just slipped out," he mumbled.

"Never mind that," Queen Elinor said. "Harris said that you are the reason we can't remember magic."

Merida considered confounding her mother with a memory charm but quickly dismissed it. She'd learned her lesson about using magic to change her fate. Memory charms should only be for Muggles who had no connections to the wizarding world. Not for parents and siblings.

"Aye, Mother," Merida confessed. She pulled out her wand and held it out. "It was the only way to stop the war. And, well, it was actually Dad's idea."

"Fergus?" Elinor gasped.

"Yeah. But his memory was affected by the spell, too … so I guess he won't remember that."

"Your father doesn't believe in magic," Elinor said.

"That's by design," Merida admitted. "When people did believe in magic, they hunted us down. I had to make them forget. It was the only way to bring about peace. Muggles- like you and Dad- can't remember magic is real, and wizards and witches, me and the boys, are _supposed_ to keep our magic a secret from you."

She gave Harris a dirty look. He smiled sheepishly.

"And you expect all … magical folk to keep this ordnance?" the Queen asked.

"We did expect some trouble," Merida admitted. "I meant to be helping with the transition … perhaps creating a wizarding government -a council of sorts- to enforce policy. But my royal duties come first, and I know I need to make restitution for taking me brothers. I will help with the wizard council when I have paid my debts."

Queen Elinor pursed her lips and was silent. She remained silent so long that Merida wondered if old age had caught up to the Queen and she was starting to forget things without the help of memory charms. Finally Mum said, "Show me a spell."

Merida held out her wand and transfigured the table into a bear. The Queen gasped and reached out, touching the bear. After a minute, Merida changed it back.

"Please don't tell anyone," Merida said. "I spent the better part of last year freeing witches from being burned, or drowned, or …"

"I won't tell," Elinor said, clutching her head. "I … I don't remember magic. But I do remember being a bear. I will keep your secret. And I will help you. Having a wizard government is a good idea and you are a good one to lead it."

"You think so?" Merida asked. Mum hadn't complimented her in a long time.

"Aye. You have grown so much, my darling. You are not the girl who wanted to change her fate. You are a woman now. And I think that working to protect the -whatever you called us- from magic folks is a fine way for you to make reparations."

"What are you saying?" Merida asked.

"I am saying … I release you from the confines of the palace," Mum said. "You may go out and save your world."

Merida stood and hugged her mother. Queen Elinor smoothed down her hair and patted her back.

"I am proud of the woman you've become," the Queen said.

"Thank you, Mum," Merida said. She stood back and curtsied. "And I am glad I no longer have conflicting loyalties. Having to balance my duty to Scotland and to the wizarding world was the hardest thing I ever did. From now on, I shall ensure that wizards follow both magical law and Muggle law."

* * *

It didn't take much to convince Stoick to give him a boat and crew. Many of the Vikings were getting restless, in need of an adventure. Hiccup left the Dragon Riders to keep nearby Vikings in line and stop them from pillaging, but he personally took Emma and the coffin containing her brother abroad.

As they sailed, he noticed just how much of the Archipelago hadn't been explored. The hiding spell had only had to go around the perimeter, leaving much of the Northern Archipelago hidden from Muggles but unexplored, even by Vikings. He wondered what it was like. What new dragon species were there?

With the new spells to protect Muggles from the wizarding world, his friends had formed a wizard council. Hiccup took charge of protecting magical creatures like dragons. What other creatures might be out in the abyss in need of protection? He had to know what was out there.

"Someday we'll go," Hiccup said to Toothless, looking at the icy region. "We'll make it a race, a race to the edge."

After many long nights aboard the ship, Hiccup spotted land.

"I guess America is real," Hiccup said. He levitated Jack's coffin into a rowboat. Hiccup had made this boat especially for Emma. It was enchanted so that once on land, it would float over the surface and be easily pushed by a child. She threw her few belongings down into the boat.

"Thank you," Emma said. "Are you coming?"

Hiccup looked out at the land. A vast land. Huge. And full of tall trees. But much as Hiccup wanted to explore, he had a feeling that America was not an adventure for him.

"I'd better not," Hiccup said. "But if you ever get tired of living alone, tell the moon, and I'll come back for you."

"Thanks. But I think I'll be here for a long time," Emma said, looking over her shoulder at the new world.

Hiccup knelt down and gave her a big hug, "It's not your fault, you know."

"What's not?"

"Jack ... being dead and forgotten. It was an accident."

"I know," Emma said.

"Jack loved you," Hiccup said as he lowered the dinghy into the water. He watched her until she made land. Soon she and her brother disappeared into the trees. Hiccup gave a signal and the Vikings on the ship turned around and the boat headed off, back to the Archipelago.

* * *

That night the Man in the Moon came to visit Emma in her dreams.

"Jack drowned in a lake, and so from a lake he must wake. Find a place for him to rest and build your home there."

When Emma woke, she scoured the land, eventually finding a serene lake, somewhat similar to Burgess' lake. She gently put him in and built a cabin near it. Gifts from the Guardians appeared, supplying her needs as the years passed. Every day, Emma knelt at the lake, hoping it would be the day that Jack woke up. But it never seemed to come.

Years passed. Then centuries. For a long time, Emma was alone, only occasionally seeing the natives. Then the boats arrived, bringing explorers and colonists.

One group even settled near her. Emma, feeling homesick and lonely, ventured into their town. It was fun to talk of home, and learn what changes had been made. The people grew to like her, even going so far as to change the name of their town from Tanglewood to Burgess after she told them how much it reminded her of her old home in England.

And then it happened.

On a bitterly cold winter's night, a man came in from the cold, shivering and rubbing his nose.

The pub master slid him a mug, "Here, warm up. Don't want Jack Frost nippin' at your nose."

Emma couldn't stop glowing. She ran outside, briefly stopping to talk with one of the boys by the fire pit.

The air turned even colder. It started to snow. Emma broke away from her friend and went to the lake. There was no hole in the ice, but it wasn't just plain ice anymore. It was coated with rough, leaf-like patterns. Frost. The moon smiled down on her.

Jack Frost is awake.

* * *

"Oh, Jack. I wish we could have been there when you woke up." -R

"You all got to live happily ever after." -J

"It wasn't so happy without you." -M

"Well, we're here now. And all of our stories are complete." -H

"Not quite. Darkness. That's the first thing I remember." -J

"Hey! We can't jump that far ahead. We've got another story." -E

"Do I or don't I get a one-shot?" -J

"Of course you do. But Eugene is right. We have more stories to tell." -H

"Isn't yours in a TV show, like mine?" -R

"Yeah, Hiccup. You're the only one of us to have a sequel." -J

"I didn't mean my story. I wasn't planning to tell the story of how I met my mother. That's a few years away, anyway. I was referring to Rapunzel's first official princess duty." -H

"Oh, I forgot about that. It is an interesting story." -R

"But it doesn't have any opening narration for us to segue into!" -E

"And what about me? That's a bonus story. I'm a main player. My story should get preference!" -J

"Oh, fine. You start your narration. Punzie will tell us her story, too. We'll see whose is better." -M

"You are such a brat. But fine." -J

"Well, we were off to Arendelle-" -E

"Darkness. That's the first thing I remember." -J

* * *

 **A/N: As I mentioned before, I will be posting the Frozen one-shot first due to new information (I'm happy to note that so far, "Jack Frost: The End becomes the Beginning" almost fits with my story, though I haven't finished reading it yet.)**

 **I will have a teaser chapter with a link next week. But, except for the following one-shots, this is the end of my Hogwarts story.**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed, liked and followed my story and me. It's been a great journey.**


	10. Teaser

To whom it may concern,

Princess Elsa will be crowned Queen this July. Please send a representative to witness the event and renew our kingdoms' pledges to one another.

Sincerely,

Anton, the Regent of Arendelle.

* * *

Your name is Jack Frost. It is time to take - _Message has been truncated due to length. Please try again in three hundred years._

* * *

 **A/N: You can find Hogwarts: Frozen here:** : (h) (tt) P (s)/ (Slash) (W) w w.f an fiction.(n)(e)(t)(slash) s (Slash)13136452/1/ Hogwarts-Frozen

 **Hogwarts ROTG:** (h) (tt) P (s)/ (Slash) (W) w w.f an fiction.(n)(e)(t)(slash) s (Slash)13142635/1/ Hogwarts-Rise-of-the-Guardians

 **Answers to guest reviews:**

 **Guest: You'll have to wait for my ROTG OneShot to find out what happened to Rapunzel, Merida and Hiccup in my head cannon. I have no intention of continuing this story and turning it into a Guardian of the Seasons story.**

 **Eris: I appreciate your interest in continuing this story, but it is time for me to move on. Adding a bunch of extra one-shots would give this story ending fatigue. Hiccup visiting America was a nod to the HTTYD book: How to Ride a Dragon's Storm. He did not meet Native Americans in the book, so he does not meet them in my story.**


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